


The Cusp

by NorthernGhost



Series: The Devil Lies in the West [3]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Major Character Injury, Psychological Trauma, Revenge, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 105,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernGhost/pseuds/NorthernGhost
Summary: Following Talanah's capture by the mysterious New Dawn cult, Aloy, Anukai, and Ikrie make their way to the northwestern coast where they must confront who or what the Omega that has taunted them across the Forbidden West is, while avoiding capture as highly sought-after "Alpha Specimens". Someone or something wants GAIA and her subfunctions, and will seemingly pull any string to get them.
Relationships: Aloy & Elisabet Sobeck, Aloy/Talanah Khane Padish, Ikrie (Horizon: Zero Dawn)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Devil Lies in the West [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593841
Comments: 69
Kudos: 18





	1. Where the World Stops

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to the third and final installment of my _The Devil Lies in the West_ series.
> 
> Quick disclaimer: as this is now coming out after the Horizon: Forbidden West trailer, this was all planned long before that existed, so if events here are not in accordance with that trailer or the eventual game... you know why.
> 
> Anyhow, it's all come down to this... for this series. The second "trilogy" of not insubstantial novel-length fics I've posted online has blown by so quickly, and it's hard to believe that it's been just over 2 years of posting every single Monday (with a few exceptions). So, that shall continue, as of now. Every Monday a new chapter, until it's done... or I go insane... whichever comes last.
> 
> Will there be more after this series? Most likely, but time will tell. Whether that will be a direct sequel... well, let's say a few ideas are in the works, for now.
> 
> That's not to get side-tracked from this before it even begins, though.
> 
> Also FYI, the rating and tags may change as this goes along, but we'll see how it goes for now.
> 
> Here is the final part of this series. Enjoy, and welcome to the _The Cusp_.

The rain seemed to have almost been a constant over every mountain range, through every thick, evergreen forest, and in every ruined husk that had once held civilization. Despite the severe degradation of many of the ancient structures, some of the largest clusters of them still bore lights and signs of life, but no pretense of safety for anyone outside them. Their walls, gates, and armed guards sent a clear message. 

The waterlogged travelers were not eager to repeat their recent past, already, though. 

Despite several near-death falls from slippery rock ledges and slides down muddy banks, three figures finally stepped from the tree line to find an expanse of sand before a massive body of water. The seeming leader of the group plodded tiredly forward across it before coming to a stop just before the waves that gently lapped at the ground, her eyes locked on the distant horizon over the expanse of grey water. 

Several moments later, the others joined her, all three remaining silent as they stared out at the first break in scenery they had truly seen in days. The moment continued for what felt like several minutes before the red-haired woman in the center cleared her throat. 

“Where does this lake end?” Anukai asked softly. 

A few heartbeats passed, once again, before the older woman beside her sighed heavily. 

“Over there,” Aloy managed, gesturing vaguely to the horizon. 

“But… where?” 

“Somewhere.” 

Anukai fell silent, continuing to stare out at the waves as Aloy turned away from the water, glancing around the beach behind them, instead. Several moments later, she began to trudge back up the expanse of sand, but taking a diagonal path that also continued farther along it. Eventually, Anukai was able to tear her eyes away from the enormous body of water, glancing at the dark-haired huntress who remained beside her. It was almost difficult to make out the pale skin of Ikrie’s face beneath the layer of dirt grime, and sweat that coated it, but as she turned toward Anukai, the brightness of her pale eyes still shone amidst the darkness around them. 

“It’s like… the world just stops here,” the dark-haired girl said quietly. 

The Banuk redhead sighed, nodding. 

“Seems that way.” 

With that, however, the girls turned and began to follow after Aloy, their feet sinking into the damp, sandy ground with each step. As they walked, Anukai eyed the top of what appeared to be a mountain just over the tree line they had exited moments ago. 

“Think that’s it?” she asked. 

“Which?” Ikrie replied. 

Anukai pointed to the green-clad peak. 

“It’s not,” Aloy called back to them, even from a yard or so ahead. 

“How do you know?” the younger redhead called back. 

“We’re too far south.” 

A heavy sigh escaped Anukai as she glanced over at Ikrie, noting how her shoulders had deflated slightly, as well. The redhead wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing the dark-haired girl tightly to her side for a moment before releasing her, again, to continue beside her. 

Eventually, Aloy came to a stop near the top of the sandy beach, glancing around before turning back to the girls. 

“We can rest here for a while,” she said. 

The Banuk girls nodded, unloading their supplies into an unceremonious pile on the ground before glancing around, as well. 

“Should be plenty of firewood,” Anukai sighed, glancing toward Aloy quickly. “If we want it.” 

The older redhead’s jaw worked for a moment before she sighed, nodding. 

“I don’t remember seeing any towns, cities, or camps nearby,” she said. “Should be safe for a small one.” 

Anukai nodded and turned to Ikrie, placing her hands on her shoulders. 

“I’ll be right back.” 

“I can come with you,” the other girl offered. 

“You’re exhausted,” the redhead sighed, running one thumb across Ikrie’s cheek and feeling the layer of dirt that came off with it. “You should rest after that near fall.” 

The dark-haired girl sighed, but didn’t object further, instead falling onto the sand beside their possessions. With that, Anukai glanced toward Aloy to find her waiting at the tree line, and the Banuk hurried to catch up. As soon as she reached the older redhead, she glanced back toward Ikrie. 

“She okay?” Aloy asked quietly. 

“Tired,” Anukai shrugged. 

“She did nearly slide down the side of a mountain.” 

“Yeah…” 

Aloy paused for a moment, something unreadable passing through her eyes before she swallowed heavily and nodded back into the forest. 

“Come on, let’s make this quick.” 

With that, the redheads began to make their way into the underbrush at the very edge of the forest, each of them grabbing any branches or sticks they could find lying about. Their work continued for several minutes in near total silence, before Anukai finally straightened up, holding a stack of wood to her chest. 

“Think I found all we might need,” she called. 

Aloy straightened up, as well, holding up her pile of soggy findings and nodded, beginning to make her way back toward the beach still visible through the trees ahead of them. As Anukai fell in step beside her, the older redhead cleared her throat. 

“It’s called an ocean, by the way.” 

“What?” 

“That ‘lake’ on the beach,” Aloy said, nodding ahead of them, “it’s actually called an ocean.” 

Anukai let out a soft “oh” and nodded slowly, but otherwise remained silent. Finally, when they broke from the cover of the trees, once again, the Banuk redhead quickly noted that their possessions were left alone in a pile on the edge of the sand and her heart rate began to accelerate as her gaze swept over the swath of beach before her. 

After a second or two of frantic searching, however, she located Ikrie by the water, standing about knee-deep in it. Anukai also noted that she appeared to have stripped down to just the wrapped, fabric tunic and leggings, the latter of which were rolled up to her knees. The Banuk redhead dropped her contribution to their fire wood beside their possessions before glancing toward Ikrie, once again. The dark-haired girl appeared to be cupping water in her hands and rubbing at the dirtiest patches of her skin, the water falling away from her notably darker than the rest at her feet. 

“She may regret that,” Aloy said, frowning. 

“Why?” Anukai replied, perhaps a little quickly. “Is it dangerous?” 

“I don’t think so,” the older redhead replied, “but it’s salt water.” 

“Salt water?” 

“Yeah,” Aloy nodded, sighing as she began to dig a small pit for their fire. “The ocean isn’t like your lakes and streams you’ve seen so far. You can’t drink salt water, and using it to wash yourself off… well, you might want to do it again right after if you can find some freshwater.” 

“But… why, exactly?” Anukai pressed, a slight frown still set into her features. 

“Doesn’t smell too great, if you can’t tell,” Aloy replied, glancing up at her as she paused in her project of digging. 

“Well… we already don’t, so…” 

The older redhead smirked, laughing softly as Anukai found a small grin tugging at her lips, as well. 

It had been some time since she had seen or heard anything resembling amusement from Aloy. 

It had also been a long week and a half of somber nights in the dark. 

Finally, Anukai’s reverie was interrupted as she noted Ikrie making her way back toward them, carrying her boots and outer clothing in her hands. When she reached the group, she sighed, dropping her clothing nearby. 

“I think I got some of that water in my mouth,” she said, spitting on the sand a few feet away. “Tastes horrible.” 

“That it does,” Aloy replied, laughing softly to herself, once again. 

“It’s not— _poisonous_ —is it?” 

Finally, the older redhead sat back on her heels, laughing fully as she shook her head. 

“No… not poisonous,” she finally managed. “Don’t try to drink it, or you’ll feel terrible, though.” 

“Don’t worry, wasn’t planning on it,” Ikrie said, making a face of disgust. “Do we have anything left in the canteens?” 

Anukai offered one to her and she used it to swish the water inside her mouth for several moments, spitting it out onto the sand before actually taking a drink of it with the next sip. As she did, the Banuk redhead noted that Ikrie had managed to scrub most of the grime and mud from herself, including her face, and she began to feel self-conscious about herself. 

“You can take a turn out there,” Aloy said, causing Anukai to jump in surprise. “I can get the fire started by myself.” 

“But you said…” 

“It won’t kill you,” Aloy interjected, “but I can tell you’re thinking about it.” 

The Banuk redhead frowned for a moment before ultimately heaving a heavy sigh and beginning to make her way toward the waves. Once she reached the sand just above their highest reach, she set about removing her boots, cloak, outer tunic, and skirt, stripping down to the similar leggings and fabric wrap as Ikrie had before. Once she had managed to roll her leggings up to her knees, as well, she carefully waded into the water, but found herself surprised at how warm it was. Once she had gone about knee deep, as well, she set about trying to cup some of the water in her hands to splash over herself. She had long since determined that Vansa had been right and she needn’t worry about her left arm, as it had shown no signs of malfunctioning in the rain, thus far. Still, she only allowed herself to dip it into the water a few times before resorting to primarily using her right hand, only. 

Eventually, she took a deep breath, cupping some of the water and splashing it at her face. As she was scrubbing at the dirt and grime she could feel plastered onto her skin, she accidentally tasted some of the water on her lips, and immediately began trying to spit the taste out, but it only seemed to spread faster throughout her mouth. 

When she finally gave up a few seconds later, she swore she heard laughing from back up on the beach, but she didn’t bother to glance back, instead simply clenching her jaw and continuing to try to scrub at the feeling of dirt that coated her until she was satisfied she had done all she could. Finally, she trudged back out of the water and collected her things, returning to their small camp to find that Aloy had, somehow, managed to light a fire in the time she was gone. 

Anukai dropped her outer clothing beside Ikrie’s and fell onto the ground beside her with a heavy sigh. 

“See what I mean about the taste?” the dark-haired girl said, smirking as she handed the canteen to her. 

The redhead made a sound in mocking, but took the canteen and repeated the process Ikrie had done minutes ago. After she had dug the canteen into the sand behind her, she turned back to the fire, pulling her knees in toward her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Aloy was sitting in a similar posture on the other side from the Banuk girls, chewing on something slowly before she handed the small bag around the fire to them. 

Anukai took it and dug out several nuts from inside before handing it over to Ikrie, in turn. 

“So how was your first time in the ocean?” the older redhead asked, eyebrows raising. 

“Warmer than I expected,” Anukai replied. 

“Tastes bad,” Ikrie mumbled, shaking her head and making a face before glancing down at her arms, “and… feels somewhat sticky afterward?” 

The Banuk redhead frowned as Aloy smirked across from them, watching Anukai poke at Ikrie’s arm to find that she was right, her skin felt somewhat sticky to the touch. 

“I did say you two might regret it,” the older redhead replied. 

“I guess I’ll take it over the dirt,” the dark haired girl sighed, popping more food into her mouth. 

“You haven’t seen the ocean, yourself, before either, right?” Anukai asked, turning back to Aloy. 

The older redhead paused for a moment before several flashes of quick images passed before her: crowds of people on a beach not unlike this one, bright sunshine, a figure in what appeared to be brightly-patterned underclothing… 

“No, not… not myself.” 

Anukai blinked several times until she found herself staring at Aloy across from her, their eyes locking for a moment or two before the Banuk swallowed heavily and nodded. A moment later, Ikrie’s hand slid across Anukai’s back, rubbing it gently, prompting her to glance over at the dark-haired girl to find her staring back with a look of concern. Anukai offered a weak smile before wrapping her arm behind her Ikrie’s shoulders, sliding closer to her. 

“So, you said we’re too far south,” the Banuk redhead said, turning back to Aloy. “How far south are we from where we need to go?” 

The older redhead tapped her Focus before jabbing several points in the air before her, frowning slightly. 

“Looks like about… one hundred seventy miles south, if we went in a straight line,” she said slowly, “but I don’t think that’s the route we’re going to want.” 

“Why not?” 

“It goes right past what used to be several large, ancient cities,” Aloy frowned. “From what we’ve seen…” 

“Might be occupied,” Anukai finished, nodding. 

The older redhead nodded, as well, before sighing and jabbing at a point in the air before dragging her finger to her left. 

“The safer way, in that regard, would be to go north along the coast until we’re about even with this city and then cut east.” 

The Banuk girls nodded in silence before Aloy sighed and closed her Focus. 

“It’ll add another fifty to sixty miles but less likely to get captured or killed.” 

An even heavier silence fell over the group for several long moments as Aloy unwrapped what appeared to be the last of their dried meat, not looking up at the girls. After she had torn it into three equal pieces, she passed the other two to the girls, Anukai taking it as if still in a daze. None of them spoke for several long minutes, although the Banuk redhead felt how much more insistently Ikrie pressed her fingers into her back, although the pressure never felt painful as they worked slowly along her spine. 

Finally, Aloy sighed and began to shift her position, reaching for her bedroll nearby. 

“Should get some rest,” she muttered, her voice barely louder than a whisper but still surprising the other two simply at the sheer sound of it. 

The Banuk girls nodded and set about laying down their bedrolls, as well. As soon as Anukai laid hers out, Ikrie placed hers beside it so the edges were touching. With a sigh, Anukai fell onto her bedroll, lying on her back as she stared up at the darkening sky overhead. The clouds from the day hadn’t fully cleared away, covering the stars, so she waited until she felt Ikrie come to rest on her bedroll, as well, before rolling onto her side. 

Within only a second or two, the dark-haired girl had slid close to her, wrapping her arms about the redhead as she buried her face in the crook of Anukai’s neck. The redhead returned the embrace, rubbing her right hand slowly up and down the other girl’s back as she felt Ikrie’s lips press gently against her collarbone before she made a noise. 

“What?” 

“Tastes like that horrible water.” 

Anukai laughed softly, shaking her head slightly as she squeezed Ikrie a little tighter for a moment or two. Eventually, the sounds of all three women adjusting their positions silenced and the last crackles of the fire slowly died out, leaving them in the heavy, somewhat humid darkness at the edge of the forest. 

The Banuk redhead felt her eyes drifting closed as she succumbed to the fatigue that had settled into all of her limbs and mind, the sounds and sensations of the real world quickly falling away from her. 

A moment later, however, she found herself standing on top of some kind of stone and metal building, a steady drizzle of rain quickly soaking her to her core. Anukai whirled around at the sound of motion behind her to find Talanah pulling herself over the top of the nearby ledge, Aloy helping her up before turning to Anukai. 

“Help me, over here!” 

The Banuk redhead blinked before quickly snapping into motion, reaching Talanah and grabbing her opposite arm, dragging the Carja onto the rooftop. As soon as she was safe, Anukai turned to her right to find Ikrie still standing on the ledge to the building across from them, tensing herself to make the same jump. 

The Banuk redhead’s heart began to pound as she saw the all too familiar image of the red glow building behind her and she frantically began to wave to Ikrie. 

“Jump! Jump now! Come on!” 

Just as the dark-haired girl went to do so, however, the window behind her shattered, sending her leaning forward as her arms wind-milled frantically, although she didn’t fall, ultimately. The Corruptor arm around her stomach seemed to tighten for a moment as Ikrie glanced down at it, only to look back up at Anukai, one hand reaching out toward her just before her body was yanked backward into the darkened space behind her. 

The younger redhead let out a cry that was somewhere between intense rage and grief before she began to scramble atop the stone ledge ahead of her. She could hear the older women attempting to stop her, but she ignored them. 

If she could just make the leap across before they could grab her, she could… 

A moment later, however, something wrapped around her waist and she was suddenly pulled forward off the rooftop. She had a moment to comprehend the image of the Corruptor climbing up the wall below her before its arm released her and the ground quickly rose up to meet her. 

Just as she should have hit, however, she found herself back on the rooftop, watching Aloy pull Talanah to safety. Ignoring them, this time, Anukai whirled toward Ikrie, waving frantically to her. 

“Jump! Now! I’ll catch you!” 

“Anukai, help me with—!” 

This time, however, even before Talanah was pulled to safety, the glass behind Ikrie shattered and Anukai was forced to watch the dark-haired Banuk be pulled backward into the room beyond, anyway. A new scream sounded from beside her and she glanced over, to see that Aloy had apparently lost her grip on Talanah and the Carja woman was nowhere to be seen. 

A blink later, however, and Aloy was pulling at her arm, again, while Ikrie still stood on the ledge across from them. 

“Help me, over here!” 

Instead, Anukai slowly sat down against the stone ledge at the edge of the roof, her back pressed against the soaked surface as she raised her hands to cover her face, her head slowly shaking back and forth. She could feel the fingers of her right hand trembling as her heart continued to pound painfully in her chest. 

“Anukai!” 

She listened to the sound of the breaking glass and the sound of Aloy screaming, only for it all to reset a second later with the older redhead calling to her for help. 

“Doesn’t matter…” Anukai muttered. 

“Of course it does.” 

The Banuk slowly lowered her hands to find an older redhead before her, kneeling on the rain-soaked roof, although she, herself, didn’t seem affected by the rain. 

“One gets taken and the other is safe,” Anukai shot back. 

“Because that’s what happened.” 

“But here I know what will happen!” the younger redhead snapped. “I can warn Ikrie! She could jump earlier!” 

“And then you lose them both.” 

“So what’s the point?!” Anukai screamed, leaning forward toward the older redhead, although she didn’t move to recoil. 

“Really, there isn’t one.” 

“Then why am I here?!” 

“Because this is just a dream, Anukai.” 

A moment later, the rain around them suddenly seemed to stop, and the two redhead were left along on a silent, empty rooftop, the other three figures also gone. As Anukai glanced around, the image of Elisabet before her sighed, adjusting her position so she was seated cross-legged before her. 

“You made the call you felt was right in the moment, when you convinced Aloy you had to run,” the older redhead said softly, pausing for a moment before clearing her throat, “when you convinced… _me_ … that it was the right decision.” 

Anukai stared back at her in confusion as Elisabet sighed, again. 

“You know that Aloy and I’s relationship is—unique,” she continued, “and…” 

The older redhead trailed off as she hung her head for a moment before sighing and looking back up at Anukai. 

“I care for all of you,” she said softly, “Aloy, you, and—and even Ara, it seems—I have a particular connection with, but… Talanah and Ikrie, too. This—” 

Elisabet gestured between herself and Anukai. 

“—is not one way—it’s not just you seeing me or… my memories or… whatever… Just like you’ve experienced with me, I have with you, too, and… I understand how both of you feel—for Talanah and for Ikrie—and so I know the pain Aloy’s feeling, but I also know that what happened was the best way it could have with what you were dealt.” 

The Banuk redhead remained silent, staring down at her knees for several moments before she felt something come to rest on one and she blinked, finding one of Elisabet’s hands on her right knee. 

“Making a decision like that will never be easy, but you did what you had to, when you needed to,” the older redhead said softly. “Now, you three will get to this city, stare down this Ted Faro—Omega—person— _thing_ ¬—and you’ll make them realize their mistake… was forcing you to have to make these decisions.” 

Elisabet squeezed her knee gently as Anukai finally lifted her head to stare back at her again, finding a small smile on the older redhead’s face. 

“Hold tight to Ikrie, kiddo,” she continued softly, “and remember how that feels… and use that fear—that anger—from this dream to understand Aloy… and help her never have to feel that again.” 

The younger redhead sighed shakily before finally nodding, prompting Elisabet to grin, patting her knee, one more time, before the next blink erased the rooftop and the older redhead, instead revealing darkness, once again. As Anukai inhaled deeply, she quickly detected the oppressive scent of the strange, salt water and she shifted her position slightly. Immediately, she felt the warmth of Ikrie beneath her arms and she instinctually wrapped her arms around her even tighter. The other girl started for a moment, seemingly startled out of sleep, before she quickly returned the tight embrace, pressing herself into the redhead as tightly as she could physically manage, while one hand began to rub at her back, once again. 

Anukai quickly leaned her head forward, burying her face in the head of dark hair as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Both of them remained silent for several long moments until the redhead swore she could feel two sets of pounding in her chest, at first out of time with each other, just by a split second, before they coalesced, one pounding from inside her ribs while the other came from outside them. 

A moment later, she felt the warm, slightly wet sensation of Ikrie’s lips pressing against her throat, the sensation repeating several times, changing positions with each one, until they had slowly worked up past her jaw. Anukai relented her grip just slightly as the dark-haired girl leaned back just enough so that their faces were even, before pausing. Although the darkness made it difficult to make out her exact features, Anukai could just detect the slight shine of faint moonlight off of Ikrie’s eyes and she focused on it. 

Finally, the dark-haired girl leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against Anukai’s lips, the redhead quickly accepting it and pulling Ikrie in toward her. They remained locked for several long moments, the kiss, itself, never growing more intense, but remaining as soft and gentle as it had begun. Finally, when their lips broke apart, Ikrie leaned her forehead against Anukai’s, exhaling slowly as she continued to knead her fingers into the redhead’s back. 

They both remained in that position for what felt like hours before Ikrie adjusted her position, placing one, shorter kiss against the redhead’s lips. Finally, she adjusted her position, allowing herself to be as tightly against the redhead as she could manage before leaning her head forward, burying her face in the crook of her neck, again. 

Eventually, Anukai was able to close her eyes and attempt to fall asleep, once again, her focus entirely drawn to the feeling and rhythm of the heartbeat pounding against her chest. The rest of the night passed with a dreamless sleep, until she eventually found herself drifting awake to the sound of movement nearby. The redhead’s eyes quickly flew open as she turned her head, blinking against the gray, morning light until she could make out the image of Aloy nearby, kneeling beside her belongings. 

Anukai blinked several more times against the grogginess before she was able to focus on the older redhead, once again, finding her staring back at her from across their small camps. 

“Good morning, girls” Aloy said. “We should get moving soon.” 

Anukai nodded tiredly, prompting the older redhead to rise to her feet and begin to head into the forest behind them, although leaving her possessions behind. With a sigh, and reasonably sure that Aloy wasn’t abandoning them, the Banuk redhead turned back to Ikrie to find her with her eyes closed, but stirring. Anukai smirked, leaning in toward her and placing a gently kiss on the side of her face. 

“You heard her,” she whispered. 

Ikrie made a sound of complaint, instead pushing forward to bury her face further against Anukai’s chest, wrapping her arms more tightly around the redhead. The Banuk’s smirk turned to a frown as she carefully maneuvered one hand to run through Ikrie’s hair, the thought that it was getting longer than she had seen it in a while running through the back of her mind. 

“What’s wrong?” 

The dark-haired girl mumbled something, but her voice was mostly muffled by Anukai’s own body, prompting her to lean down toward her, once again. 

“Ikrie…?” 

The dark-haired girl refused to separate from her, but turned her head to the side slightly so that her voice was more audible. 

“I… I kept seeing that near fall,” she muttered. 

“Yours?” 

Ikrie nodded. 

“I’m sorry…” 

“Except a few times… I slid into a waiting Sawtooth or… off the edge of a cliff or…” 

Anukai quickly tightened her grip around the dark-haired girl, pressing multiple soft kisses along her face. 

“You’re okay… you’re okay,” she breathed, running one hand across her back, as well. 

“Why did this get to me so badly?” Ikrie asked in a small voice, barely audible in the midst of the redhead’s embrace. 

“I don’t know, but… I don’t know.” 

Eventually, the dark-haired girl’s grip around Anukai began to feel less intense and desperate, although the redhead’s hand continued its massaging motions across her back. Finally, Ikrie let out a heavy sigh, turning her head and placing a slow kiss against Anukai’s collarbone, before shifting as if to sit up, prompting the redhead to relent her grip. As the dark-haired girl propped herself on one arm, Anukai mimicked it, leaving her right hand resting on Ikrie’s side. 

“You think… this will be over soon?” 

Anukai sighed, hanging her head before shrugging. 

“I have no idea.” 

When she glanced back up, she found Ikrie frowning, prompting her to lift her hand, cupping the side of her face and running her thumb over the dark-haired girl’s cheek. 

“But I hope so… for all of our sakes.” 

Ikrie’s frown was replaced by a sad smile as Anukai attempted to return it with her own, but it felt just as unconvincing as hers. Finally, the redhead sighed, pulling her hand away from the other girl’s face to run her fingers through her hair again. 

“You need to cut this again, too,” she teased. 

Ikrie laughed as a grin tugged at Anukai’s lips. 

“I was thinking maybe I’d grow it out, you know?” 

The redhead raised her eyebrows as Ikrie smirked. 

“Things change.” 

Anukai faltered for a moment before clearing her throat and nodding. 

“Things change.” 

With that, they finally managed to begin dragging on the outer layers of their clothing just as Aloy returned to the small camp, seemingly without anything that she hadn’t left with earlier. 

“We’ll need to find some hunting soon,” the older redhead sighed, kneeling beside her possessions and beginning to load them onto her person. “We’re out of the dried meat, close with the nuts, but I couldn’t see anything that I recognized as edible in there.” 

Anukai nodded, pulling her outer tunic over her head and securing it in place under the waistband of her skirt, tightening her belt over both of them before setting about packing her bedroll, once again. 

“So, you said go north?” the younger redhead asked, glancing up from her bedroll as she held it away from the others and shook it to try free it of stray particles of sand. 

“From here, yeah,” Aloy replied, nodding. 

“Shame we don’t have the Striders, anymore,” Anukai sighed. 

“Yeah… but also they probably wouldn’t have done so well cutting across those mountains,” the older redhead replied. 

Anukai glanced toward Ikrie for a moment, finding the dark-haired girl had paused in the packing of her things, before she took a deep breath, resuming her motions a moment later. When the younger redhead turned back to Aloy a moment later, she caught her glancing toward Ikrie, as well, her lips pulled into a thin line. 

“So, anyway,” the older redhead sighed, “we walk, for now.” 

“I’m still surprised,” Anukai began, rising to her feet with a groan and stretching her shoulders stiffly, “we’ve seen so few machines out here.” 

“I was thinking the same thing,” Aloy nodded, also rising to her feet and grimacing as she flexed her shoulders for a moment. “I think our… _friends_ … may have something to do with that.” 

“You mean like those Ravagers?” 

The older redhead shrugged. 

“Some of that, or just… scaring them away, disrupting their usual patterns.” 

Anukai let out a soft “ah” before turning back to Ikrie as the other girl rose to her feet, the dark-haired girl checking about her person for several moments before nodding and glancing up at her. 

“All good?” 

Ikrie nodded, and both girls turned back to Aloy, who raised her eyebrows. 

“Shall we?” 

With that, the three women began their march along the top of the sand, where it seemed to be a little more solid from the dampness and the mixture with the regular dirt of the forest to their side, although Anukai still noted how her boots sank into it with each step, ever so slightly. They continued in silence for the first couple hours until they came upon what appeared to be the ruins of some kind of ancient structure on a piece of land that jutted out into the water ahead of them. 

The women eyed it warily for several moments before deciding that no signs of life or motion were visible from around it, so they began to make their way up the side of the outcropping, following a zig-zagging path set into the side of the land until they eventually crested it, coming to a stop before the ruins. The structure was circular in shape, however it appeared to have once been much taller than it was, currently, as the uneven edges at the top of it seemed to indicate that it had partially collapsed. 

Another, much more destroyed set of ruins sat close by, seemingly having once been almost like a small stone hut of some kind, although what purpose either served had long been lost. Aloy began to lead the way past the ruins, moving along the coast, once again, but as they passed the circular structure, Anukai happened to notice a large, rusted metal structure seemingly lying on the ground behind it, half-buried in the dirt and vegetation of the hill behind it. 

The Banuk redhead approached it for a moment, staring up at the shape for several moments before frowning slightly. She heard footsteps approaching behind her and glanced back to find Ikrie coming to a stop beside her, a questioning look on her face. Just before Anukai could speak, images of a similar circular structure flashed before her eyes, this one intact, with a bright light at the top. For a moment, she could have sworn she was standing atop it, staring out over a vast expanse of water and a coastline not unlike the one where she stood, now. When she blinked, once again, she found that Ikrie’s face had turned from curiosity to concern. 

“You okay?” she asked softly. 

Anukai nodded, rubbing at her eyes tiredly before glancing back to the large, chunk of metal beside them. 

“I think this used to be on top of that,” she said, gesturing to it before also turning back to the ruined structure behind them. 

Ikrie made a “huh” sound before glancing back up at the ruined building. 

“Some kind of… tower like the one outside of Meridian that Aloy mentioned?” 

“Don’t… don’t think so.” 

The dark-haired girl raised one eyebrow slightly as she turned back to Anukai, but the redhead simply sighed, gesturing for them to continue after Aloy. Ikrie still did not seem convinced, but followed the younger redhead’s lead as they hurried to catch up to their third group member, who had finally paused just before a curve in the landscape, seemingly waiting impatiently for the girls. 

As they reached her and slowed to a normal walking pace, Aloy cleared her throat. 

“It was called a lighthouse.” 

“What?” 

“The ruin you were just looking at,” she replied, nodding behind them. “It was called a lighthouse.” 

“Oh… what did it… do?” 

“Shone a bright light out into the ocean at night,” Aloy continued, turning to continue walking as she also gestured vaguely out into the expanse of water beside them. “It helped boats know where land was so they didn’t run aground.” 

Anukai and Ikrie both nodded slowly, exchanging glances before the redhead cleared her throat. 

“You… uh… how do you know this?” 

“APOLLO,” Aloy answered, glancing back over her shoulder. “I… uh… took a particular interest to information about the ocean and such and so T—” 

The older redhead caught herself, swallowing painfully before continuing. 

“S-so we, uh… yeah, I learned a lot about all that… stuff.” 

Anukai felt a pang of something tight and painful in her chest as her lips pulled back in a thin line, one hand instinctually reaching up to rub at a spot just over her sternum. The feeling passed soon after, however, and she followed after the older redhead in silence, once again. 

The terrain had quickly turned from the sandy beaches along the waterfront back to the thick forests and rocky drop offs that their entire journey westward since Reva had been. Thankfully, there were no collapsing ledges or loose soil that sent any of them sliding toward a long fall, and they even came across some wildlife for hunting. Following a team effort, they had managed to catch a boar and two foxes, quickly skinning and cleaning them before storing the meat as best they could for later. 

“Think we’ll need anything else?” Anukai asked, gesturing to the sections of boar skin and fox pelts that they had accumulated in their efforts. 

“Couldn’t hurt, I suppose,” Aloy shrugged. 

“For trading?” 

The older redhead frowned as she cleaned her knife on some nearby bush leaves. 

“You never know who we’ll run into,” Anukai suggested. 

“No… I guess we don’t.” 

With that, they also secured the other supplies from their catches before taking a quick break to eat some of their stored nuts and a few berries that Aloy had scanned with her Focus to determine they weren’t poisonous. Following their quick break, they resumed their march on through the thick forestation just inland from the coast. When they came across a small stream, Ikrie quickly knelt beside it, dipping one hand in to cup some of the water before smelling it. Anukai glanced at her curiously before the dark-haired girl quickly splashed it over her face, grabbing some more a moment later and using it to further scrub at herself. 

“Freshwater?” Aloy asked, circling back on the opposite side of the stream where she had hopped across. 

Ikrie jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, glancing up as she wiped at her eyes, but nodded. 

“Probably not a bad idea to try to scrub some of that dried saltwater off,” the older redhead nodded, reaching for one of the canteens attached to her hip. “I’ll grab some from upstream.” 

With that, she moved several yards away, leaving Anukai to kneel beside Ikrie, cupping the water in her right hand as the other girl had done. When she scrubbed at her face, she could feel the fine layer of whatever had dried to her skin beginning to fall away, and so she kept it up for several more tries, until she was convinced that she had removed all traces of the saltwater. 

Following that, she turned to her right arm before frowning. 

“No problem with getting it wet so far, right?” 

She glanced up at Ikrie to find her pointing to her left arm. 

“Yeah, but…” 

The dark-haired girl wordlessly grabbed some water with both of her hands before pouring it over the redhead’s right arm and scrubbing at it vigorously. After a few more attempts, she seemed satisfied and nodded, leaning back on her heels. 

“You get it wet in the ocean, too?” Ikrie said, rubbing the back of one hand across her forehead as she pointed to Anukai’s left arm, again. 

“A little.” 

“Probably safe to wash it off, just in case. Don’t know what that salt water Aloy mentioned could do it.” 

Anukai frowned slightly but nodded, setting about rinsing off her left arm, rubbing at the metal portions while taking care to ensure that each portion still moved and bent as expected. Finally, when she was satisfied she had rinsed the whole length, and her fingers still curled and flexed as quickly and easily as ever, she sighed, turning back to Ikrie. 

“Does it… do you still have to think about it?” the dark-haired girl asked softly, an unreadable expression across her face. 

“Not really,” Anukai shrugged, glancing down at her left arm as she held her hand between them, turning her hand over a few times while staring at each side. “Just… moves like normal.” 

“Does it… can you feel like normal again?” 

The redhead sighed, shaking her head. 

“Still a bit strange, but… enough.” 

Ikrie nodded, a hint of sadness crossing her features before Anukai turned her hand so her palm faced the dark-haired girl. The other huntress paused for a moment before realization dawned on her and she raised her hand, pressing it against the redhead’s in a mirror image. For the first time since leaving the bunker in the desert, Anukai focused on exactly what she felt as the other girl’s skin came to rest against the metal of her own hand. She could feel a vague sense of warmth, telling her that something was there, but as Ikrie shifted her fingers slightly, she could feel the soft sense of something dragging across hers. 

A moment later, Anukai spread her fingers and Ikrie responded by slipping hers between them, the pressure of her squeezing the redhead’s left hand registering even as the gesture seemed to be slight. 

“How does it feel to you, now?” Anukai said softly. 

“Still the same,” Ikrie replied quickly. “Still you.” 

The redhead’s lips pulled into a slight smile, but it felt incredibly forced, prompting the dark-haired girl to sigh. 

“Anukai, it doesn’t bother me, at all,” she said. “I’m just concerned for you—just want to make sure you’re okay, able to do whatever you need, and not in pain or anything.” 

“I’m fine, doesn’t hurt,” the redhead replied. 

“Okay…” 

With that, Ikrie released her hand before sliding her fingers up the metal appendage, tracing over her elbow and up what would normally be her biceps. The entire length, Anukai focused on the sensation of the other girl’s fingers, tracing them from her wrist to her shoulder, where Ikrie’s fingers gently traced over the line where the metal met skin. A shiver ran down the redhead’s spine at the two conflicting sensations so close to each other and Ikrie quickly pulled her fingers away. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” 

Ikrie brought her hand to rest on the redhead’s forearm, staring back at her with a small smile, before she leaned in and placed a quick kiss against her lips. A moment later, they both rose to their feet, turning back to find Aloy just filling the last of her canteens, strapping it to her belt before glancing back toward the girls. 

“If you wanna fill yours, now’s the time.” 

Anukai nodded in response, reaching for her own and moving somewhat upstream, despite the flowing water likely having taken away any remains of the salt water they had washed off moments ago. Once the Banuk girls had filled their canteens, they strapped them to their belts and moved to join Aloy several yards away. As they did, Anukai noted how her eyes seemed focused on the air before her, and she glanced toward her right ear to see the blue glow of her Focus shining against her pale skin. 

“If we keep north for another day or two, we should reach a point where we can cut almost directly east,” the older redhead said, seemingly snapping out of her daze as she tapped her Focus and turned to the girls. “Avoids any ancient cities and hopefully any large settlements built in them.” 

They both simply nodded before Anukai cleared her throat and gestured to her right. 

“Lead on.” 

Aloy smirked and turned to begin walking almost directly behind her, prompting Anukai to sigh heavily and exchange a glance with Ikrie before following after her. The trek through the thick forestation was slightly slower than it had been on the edge of the beaches, but Anukai found herself thankful for the shade the canopy provided. Memories of bright red skin and the painful sensation almost as if she had been set on fire, herself, lingered from their time in the desert, and she tried her best to forget them. The trade for the protection from the direct sunlight, however, seemed to be the oppressive humidity that hung over them, leaving Anukai wiping at her brow with the equally damp back of her hand repeatedly. 

To her amusement, Aloy didn’t seem to be faring much better. 

“You almost miss the desert?” the younger redhead panted, pushing aside another large, leafy bush as she ducked underneath some of its tallest branches. 

Aloy glanced back at her before making a noncommittal sound. 

“It had its benefits.” 

“Anukai, I know you can’t be,” Ikrie called from the back of their group. 

“Why’s that?” 

“If you’d have turned as red as your hair one more time, I swear your skin would have just fallen off.” 

Aloy let out a sound almost like a snort from ahead of her, prompting the Banuk redhead to narrow her eyes at the back of her head, but she otherwise said nothing. 

Finally, they seemed to break clear of the forestation, once again, as they found themselves on the edge of another outcropping into the ocean, Aloy gesturing for the girls to stop behind her long before they accidentally plowed into her. As Anukai and Ikrie moved to her left, they both came to a short stop, staring down at what had clearly caught the older redhead’s attention, as well. 

The faint wisps of smoke rose above the treetops around the next bend in the shoreline ahead of them, the color more of a light grey than a thick black, but it was unmistakable against the clouds overhead. 

“Should we head farther inland?” Anukai asked, glancing over at Aloy. 

The older redhead frowned, her jaw working tensely for a moment or two. 

“It’s small,” Ikrie suddenly chimed in. “Could be just a camp.” 

“Could be a scouting party, then,” the older redhead countered. 

The Banuk girls exchanged glances before Anukai took a deep breath, turning back to Aloy. 

“Could always scout it and see.” 

“You?” Aloy replied, glancing over at her with raised eyebrows. 

“I could go by myself,” the younger redhead shrugged. “Up to you.” 

Anukai caught Ikrie shifting slightly out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t acknowledge it, instead turning her gaze to the older redhead beside her. Aloy continued to stare at the signs of smoke before sighing heavily and shrugging. 

“Fine, we’ll get a bit closer, and then you can take the lead.” 

With that, Aloy turned to her right and began to move farther along the drop-off where they had come to a stop. Anukai let out a slow exhale before turning back to Ikrie to find a look of concern on her face. 

“You don’t have to do it alone,” the dark-haired huntress whispered. 

“It’ll be fine,” Anukai replied, placing one hand on her shoulder. “That small of smoke isn’t a war party.” 

Ikrie didn’t look entirely convinced, but didn’t argue further before they both turned and followed after Aloy. The path to navigate around the bend in the coastline ahead of them ended up taking longer than any of them seemed to expect, as a stream that had carved through the center of the raised ground where they stood meant that they had to travel even farther inland to find a safe crossing point. Once they had located their way across, an old tree trunk across the crevice they had been following, they carefully made their way over it. Aloy took up the rear, this time, following after Ikrie. Just as she was nearly across, her boot slipped on the moss-covered trunk and she wavered in place for a moment, spinning her arms as Anukai raced forward, reaching one hand toward her. 

The older redhead remained in place, however, eventually seeming to regain her balance before letting out a heavy exhale and making her way across the rest of the trunk as quickly as possible, Anukai’s hand slowly curling into a fist as she pulled it back. When Aloy hopped off the end of the trunk, she glanced toward Anukai, nodding. 

“Thanks for the offer, kid.” 

The Banuk redhead offered a thin-lipped expression before watching the older redhead step past her, her lips quickly turning into a frown before she glanced to Ikrie. The dark-haired girl shrugged dejectedly before the girls resigned to follow after Aloy. After another half an hour or so of trekking through the forest, the older redhead came to a stop in the center of a clearing, glancing up toward the sky before turning back to the girls behind her. 

“Okay, looks like this is where we wait,” she said, gesturing to something over their heads. 

Anukai followed her gaze to see the smoke rising above the treetops at the edge of the clearing, much closer than it had been before. 

“Still want to take the lead, Anukai?” 

The Banuk redhead took a deep breath before nodding, glancing back down at Aloy. 

“I can handle it.” 

Aloy simply nodded before turning to take a seat against an old tree stump, sighing as she fell into place. 

“Focus should still be able to contact us for a decent distance,” she said. “Let us know if it’s all clear, or if you can’t raise us… just come on back.” 

Anukai nodded curtly before glancing to Ikrie to find her eying the older redhead warily. 

“You okay?” 

The dark-haired girl sighed, glancing over at her as she nodded. 

“Be safe.” 

Anukai smirked, stepping toward her. 

“I always am.” 

As Ikrie rolled her eyes, the redhead placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning and setting out through the trees and underbrush ahead of her, making a straight line for the smoke. Soon, the other women were obscured by the plant life around her, and she cast one last glance back before taking a slow, deep breath. 

Eventually, she noted the trees ahead seemed to be thinning, and she began to move more cautiously, every crunch of a branch or rustle from the leaves of the plants she brushed past echoed in her ears while her eyes constantly scanned the environment ahead of her. Every several yards or so, she would check with her Focus, as well, scanning for any unknown images or signals, but none other than the odd fox, rat, or bird stood out to her. 

Finally, she noted that the sunlight seemed to be shining particularly brightly from ahead of her and she slowed to a much slower pace, her heart pounding in her ears as she also detected a new sound amidst the wind and the general sounds of the forest. 

Voices. 

As she approached what appeared to be another rocky drop-off, she dropped to a crouch, moving slowly through the underbrush before sliding into cover behind one of the large trees at the very edge of the forest. As she did, she tapped her Focus, bringing the sphere of lights and glyphs to life around her. When she turned her gaze to the world just past her cover, she noted that the device was now picking up several unknown images, each of which quickly formed into the shape of people, all outlined in blue light. She counted as many as she could within a few seconds before frowning. 

“At least ten…” 

With that, she reached to her bedroll attached to her person, carefully removing and unrolling it before grabbing the brown cloak from inside. Once she had pulled it over her torso, she returned the bedroll to its storage spot. Finally, she took a deep breath and pulled the hood over her head before dropping to a prone position and crawling forward through the grass ahead of her. When she reached what appeared to be the edge of the drop-off, she came to a stop, attempting to remain as low to the ground as possible as she attempted to see over the edge. 

As she did, however, she paused, confusion creasing her brow for a moment. 

The scene before her was most definitely not a camp, but it was far from anything they had seen in Reva, as well. 

A series of wooden huts, built from saplings bent and tied into curved shapes sat on the edge of a small inlet, each of them connected by a series of wooden walkways also made of cut logs and tree trunks bound together by some kind of wire or twine. The smoke appeared to be rising from a large bonfire in the center of the small gathering of huts, around which Anukai spotted several figures, none of whom struck her as any sort of warriors. 

As she continued to scan over the small settlement, she caught sight of a group of figures hauling in a net from under one of the various walkways, while others seemed to be in the process of unloading several small, wooden boats on the nearby beach, placing some kind of aquatic traps on the sand as others peered into them, seemingly checking their contents. 

The Banuk redhead paused for a moment before slowly clearing her throat. 

“Aloy, Ikrie, you hear me?” she whispered. 

A moment or two passed before a synthetic chime sounded in her ear. 

“Just barely,” came Aloy’s crackling voice. “What did you find?” 

“It’s… a village.” 

“Hostile?” 

“A fishing village.” 

A pause followed for a few moments before Aloy’s distorted voice came again. 

“Still remains… hostile?” 

Anukai’s jaw worked tensely as her eyes scanned over the group of children she spotted near the bonfire, all of whom seemed to be attempting to help the older figures she spotted directly beside the flames, while still seeming to get on their elders’ nerves. 

“Don’t think so,” she replied. 

“No machines?” 

“No.” 

“Okay, still, probably best we—” 

“I’m going in.” 

“What?!” 

Anukai took a slow, deep breath before crawling back from the edge of the drop-off. 

“Anukai, do _not_ —!” 

“We need supplies,” the Banuk redhead hissed, “and we need information. Maybe we can get both here.” 

“We don’t know—” 

“And we won’t unless we try.” 

“Get—back—here!” 

Anukai paused for a moment, her jaw working tensely before she rose to a crouched position, making her way back through the forest for a few yards before veering to her right. 

“Meet me on the beach to the west.” 

The sound of what seemed to be Aloy cursing echoed through her Focus, but it was incredibly distorted and almost impossible to understand, prompting the younger redhead to clench her jaw, her fingers hovering over her Focus. 

“We can talk there.”


	2. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday y'all.
> 
> Little later than I usually post, but I didn't quite finish as quickly as I thought I would last week.
> 
> I spent until Wednesday playing The Last of Us Part 2 with every minute of free time that I had, and then spent the remainder of the work largely thinking on it and being sort of wrapped up in that. There was certainly a lot there to do that with.
> 
> Anyhow, here we are. Chapter 2. Let us continue.
> 
> Trust is an expensive thing to give.

The journey to the nearby beach took only a few minutes, but the Banuk redhead ran through her arguments in her head the entire way, only paying enough attention to the world around her to follow the bright sunlight filtering through the tree line ahead of her as well as to watch for any signs of motion. When she finally broke free of the forestation, Anukai hurried down a short embankment before coming to a stop on the edge of the sandy beach, glancing to her right to make sure she was still out of sight of the villagers she had seen moments ago before beginning to pace, her hands braced on her hips. 

“Need supplies… can try to trade…” she muttered before spinning on her heel to return in the opposite direction. “Could be hostile, still… may not have anything to actually trade…” 

She continued her back and forth, physically and verbally, for another minute or two as a steady drizzle began to pick up, once again, pounding on the hood of her cloak, prompting her to also absentmindedly remove her hunting gloves, pulling them on and checking to make sure her left arm was mostly protected. With the extra noise and distractions, she almost missed the sounds of motion from inside the forest until they were nearly upon her, prompting her to come to a short stop, one hand instinctually reaching toward her bow, just in case. A few moments later, two similarly cloaked and hooded figures emerged from the underbrush, and she lowered her hand, taking a deep breath. Aloy hurried down the slope toward her before coming to a short stop before the younger redhead. 

“So, have you thought about your idea for more than a few seconds?” she snapped. 

“I have.” 

“And?” 

“I still think—” 

Aloy interrupted her with a loud curse, throwing her arms into the air before pacing several feet away, lacing her fingers behind her head. 

“Anukai, what have we been doing this entire time since Reva?” 

“And look where we are!” the younger redhead snapped. “We’re almost out of supplies—” 

“We just went hunting!” 

“What if one of us gets hurt?” Anukai interjected. “We don’t have anything medicinal or—” 

“That’s why we’re being careful—” 

“Just being careful doesn’t mean—” 

“Enough!” 

Both redheads stopped, whirling toward Ikrie to find her with her fingers pressed against her temples, her jaw clenched tightly. 

“Enough…” she repeated softer, exhaling slowly. “We’re never going to come to an answer like this.” 

Anukai and Aloy exchanged tense glares before turning back to the dark-haired girl just as she let out a heavy sigh, shrugging and dropping her hands to her sides. 

“I agree with Aloy.” 

The Banuk redhead’s eyes widened as she physically recoiled, staggering back a step or two. 

“Anukai, we’ve been careful this whole time—” 

The younger redhead closed her eyes, clenching her jaw tightly for a moment before suddenly whirling on her heel and beginning to stalk along the beach, heading in the vague direction of the village. 

“What are you doing?!” 

As she continued, she heard the sound of footsteps racing to catch up to her, but she didn’t turn to look. A moment later, she didn’t need to as Ikrie skidded to a halt before her, blocking her path. 

“Anukai, stop.” 

“You can wait with Aloy, then,” the redhead muttered, moving to step around her, but Ikrie followed her. 

“Please listen to me!” 

“I’ve heard everything Aloy’s said,” Anukai spat, “and I understand it all, so believe me, I know what you’re agreeing with—which _side_ you’re—” 

“It’s not about choosing sides!” the dark-haired girl interjected, attempting to grip the redhead’s shoulders, but she shrugged her off quickly, moving to sidestep her, once again, but to no avail. 

“Then what is it, Ikrie?” Anukai growled. 

“It’s about staying alive,” the dark-haired girl shot back, “surviving… what we’ve done since we left the Sheers together.” 

“Since when is a small fishing village the most dangerous thing we’ve seen?” 

“By—dammit, Anukai, by anything that you still believe in, _stop_!” 

The redhead finally paused as she noted the redness of Ikrie’s eyes and the droplets of water accumulating in the corners of them, separate from the rain that made it past the lip of her hood. They both remained silent for several long moments as the tears slowly began to fall down the dark-haired girl’s cheeks, her breathing coming in uneven pants, several nearing what seemed like sobs. Eventually, Anukai was able to force herself to swallow, clearing the heavy lump that had formed in her throat. 

“I believe in you,” the redhead said, barely louder than a whisper. 

“Then—just _believe_ me,” Ikrie replied, her voice equally as soft. “Don’t go.” 

Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for a moment or two as Ikrie slowly reached to place her hands on the redhead’s arms. This time, she didn’t shrug away, but didn’t react to them, either, even as the dark-haired girl’s hands gripped her tighter and tighter. 

“Don’t go…” 

Just then, Anukai’s eyes flicked to the side of Ikrie’s face and she immediately grew tense, grabbing the dark-haired girl’s sides and pushing her to her right, stepping forward so that she now stood somewhat in front of her. The dark-haired Banuk jumped in surprise, but whirled to face the same direction as Anukai, only to freeze, as well. Three figures, a man and two boys, stood several yards away, the younger two holding bows with arrows drawn toward them. 

“We mean no harm!” the Banuk redhead said quickly, holding up her hands. 

The two boys adjusted their grips on their bows, keeping the arrows drawn before the man between them raised his hands, slowly pointing their arrowheads toward the ground. 

“Lower them,” he said, keeping his gaze focused on the girls. 

“They could be New Dawn!” one of the boys hissed. 

“They do not look like New Dawn,” the man replied before raising his voice slightly as he seemed to address the girls. “To whom do you claim allegiance?” 

Anukai and Ikrie exchanged glances before the redhead cleared her throat. 

“Ourselves, mainly.” 

The man appeared to consider them for a few moments before probing further. 

“Where do you hail from?” 

“The east,” Anukai replied. “Beyond the desert.” 

The sound of the steady rainfall around them hung heavy in the air for several long moments before the man replied. 

“You have come a long way then.” 

“That we have.” 

“What do you seek so far from your homeland?” 

The Banuk redhead paused, swallowing heavily. 

“A person. She was taken from us.” 

The man nodded slowly before turning to the boys, once again. 

“Relax your bows,” he said, drawing wary glances from them, yet again, but he seemed to ignore them as he turned back to Anukai and Ikrie. “I assume you seek supplies.” 

“If you have any to trade.” 

“Let us talk.” 

The Banuk redhead let out the breath she had been holding, sparing a glance toward Ikrie to find her also glancing toward her, a similar expression of relief on her face. When Anukai glanced back toward Aloy behind her, she found the older redhead eying the figures ahead of them warily before also finally turning her gaze to the Banuk. They locked eyes for a moment as Aloy’s lips drew into a thin line before she nodded toward the figures ahead of them. 

Anukai sighed heavily before turning back to find the boys had finally lowered their bows, relaxing their bowstrings but keeping the arrows nocked, while the man between them waited for the Banuk girls to begin walking forward before turning around and walking back along the beach, placing his hands on the boys’ shoulders to lead them along. The trudge through the wet sand only lasted for a minute or so before they finally rounded the curve in the coastline, revealing the wooden huts of the village ahead. 

Upon seeing the returning group, several other members of the village near a set of boats pulled onto the beach seemed to perk up, eying the new women as they followed. When they passed the figures at the boats, Anukai met the gazes of several of them before swallowing heavily and turning back to the boys and man ahead of them. Soon after, they began to step onto the first of the raised wooden walkways that wound between the various huts and shacks, the travelling women constantly glancing around as they moved deeper into the village. 

Small children darted by, laughing and giving chase to each other, while adults were seen repairing some of the structures, gutting fish, skinning other hunting catches, or generally seeming busy, even if Anukai couldn’t discern what exactly they were doing. She also noted that despite the steady rainfall that had continued, none of them were wearing anything resembling the hoods or cloaks the travelling group wore. 

Finally, they reached what appeared to be a more open, covered platform near the center of the village, and the Banuk redhead quickly recognized it as the one where she had seen the elders around the fire, earlier, as she spotted the same group off to her left. The children she had also seen around them now appeared to have left, leaving the platform largely empty. The bows made their way toward a series of wooden tables at the far side before laying their bows on them, unhooking the quivers of arrows from their belts, as well, and laying them alongside the weapons. 

The man from the group turned to the elders at the first, speaking with them quietly for a few moments while Anukai, Ikrie, and Aloy exchanged glances, the older redhead seeming the most wary out of all of them. A few moments later, the man returned, holding what appeared to be three mugs made out of hammered pieces of metal toward them. The travelling women hesitated for a moment before the man gestured with the vessels insistently. 

“Something to warm against the cold of the rain,” he said. 

They slowly accepted the mugs, but notably delayed taking a sip from them, while the man glanced between them. 

“I sense that you have learned not to place trust in those you have just met.” 

Silence fell over them for a moment or two before Anukai cleared her throat. 

“You could say that’s true.” 

The man nodded slowly before gesturing to one of the wooden tables nearby. The group migrated toward it, the three women taking seats opposite him as Anukai caught Ikrie glancing behind them, the redhead following her gaze to note that there were several other empty tables, but also another walkway out of the main platform behind them. As they settled into their seats, the Banuk redhead also noted how the man across from them appeared to be studying them carefully, and she shifted uncomfortably. She was also able to take in more of his appearance, as well, finding that she was unable to tell exactly how old he was, as his shaved head didn’t allow her to discern a hair color, and his face didn’t bear the lines and wrinkles of an elder, but enough weathering to tell her that he had to be at least Aloy’s age. 

Although his clothing didn’t bear a hood or something to cover his head from the rain, she did note that the outer layer seemed to hang almost like a cloak, albeit without sleeves, such that it must have touched the ground behind him when seated. Beneath it, he wore a tunic made of what appeared to be dried and cured animal hide, while his leggings that she had noted earlier were much like the cured leather Anukai, herself, wore. Unlike so many of the tribal designs she was familiar with from the Cut and Meridian, however, the man’s clothing bore little to no signs of trademark colors or patterns that made it stand out as anything beyond entirely utility-driven. 

“My name is Lukas,” he began, folding his hands on the table before him before looking to the women almost expectantly. 

This time, Aloy was the first to respond, even after several seconds of silence. 

“Miriam.” 

Anukai tried not to register an outward expression of her sudden rush to think of a false name, as well, before clearing her throat. 

“Tatai.” 

“Mailen,” Ikrie concluded, shifting her hands around her mug before her, but still not taking a sip from it. 

Lukas nodded slowly before also casting his eyes to their mugs for a moment, returning to their faces with an unreadable expression. 

“I sense that you have experience with New Dawn.” 

The three women stiffened for a moment, as the man nodded slowly. 

“I trust that you are not allied to them.” 

Finally, Anukai cleared her throat, nodding. 

“We are not.” 

“They took your missing family member.” 

“F-family?” the Banuk redhead stammered quickly, cursing inwardly at her response. 

“For a group to come this far from their homeland to end in this region, I cannot imagine a sense of urgency that would not be afforded to a missing family member,” he replied, nodding. “Ties of love and hate only bond so closely.” 

Anukai exchanged a glance with Ikrie to find her with her lips drawn into a thin line, her fingers working tensely around her mug. 

“I cannot create trust that you do not wish to give,” Lukas continued, bringing the redhead’s attention back to him, “but I assure you that your drinks have not been poisoned.” 

The three women all froze for a moment before Anukai took a deep breath, beginning to raise her mug. She noted how Ikrie seemed to tense even further, but tried to resist the urge to glance toward her, instead sniffing at the contents of the vessel, noting that whatever it was carried a strong, earthy scent, but also a hint of something sweet. Finally, she gave in and took a sip from its contents, starting slightly at how hot it still was. After a more cautious sip, she was able to truly taste the contents, finding that it appeared to be some sort of tea, and carried a strongly sweet initial taste, followed by the much heartier aftertaste that she had initially smelled. 

“What is it?” she asked, lowering her mug to the table, once again. 

“A tea made from a plant that we found to grow along this coastline,” Lukas explained, “along with a naturally occurring sap from trees that has been boiled and distilled into a more liquid form.” 

The redhead nodded slowly, taking another sip from it while noting that she didn’t immediately feel any effects other than a warmth spreading throughout her torso from the path the liquid had followed. 

“Thank you.” 

Lukas’s face finally cracked into a soft smile as he nodded. 

“So, you wish to trade, you stated?” he continued. 

“If you have anything you would be willing to do so with,” Anukai nodded. 

“We have some,” he replied, “but I cannot say there is much, nor can I guarantee that we will have much to offer more than perhaps some basic food supplies.” 

“Anything that may be of use for travelling would be appreciated,” Ikrie finally chimed in, drawing Lukas’s attention to her. 

“Food, basic remedies, and the like we may be able to assist with,” he said, nodding. “I see you already carry weapons, however I unfortunately must say that other than bows, I am not familiar with most of yours.” 

“So you don’t share in the tools of these New Dawn people?” Anukai asked. 

Lukas’s lips drew into a thin line as he shook his head. 

“While we benefit from some of their machines and achievements, we largely exist here despite them.” 

Intrigue creased the Banuk redhead’s face as she sipped at her tea, once again. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“The city of theirs, that I’m sure is the one you seek,” he added, raising his eyebrows slightly, “has created many marvels that I can barely comprehend, myself, however through them they have managed to keep the rivers flowing freely, the lakes clear and full of life, and the ocean free of ancient wreckage and the sickness brought by some of it. The forests remain full of life and free of sickness in the trees and animals, while roving packs of bandits and those who seek to prey on the weak or the disadvantaged have largely been dissuaded from entering the region.” 

Anukai’s hands tightened around her mug as she felt her heart rate begin to accelerate. 

“That is also why I was so curious to see outsiders in this particular region,” Lukas replied. “We do not see many who make it this far. Most who do venture here approach the cities, as well.” 

“And… do they… stay?” Ikrie asked quietly. 

“Some,” Lukas said, nodding. “Some who do not wish to, still not do leave.” 

All three women remained silent as heavy silence fell over them for several moments until Lukas let out a heavy sigh. 

“New Dawn largely does not seek out people to kill or capture,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table before him, “but they will retain people. Some would say… collect them.” 

Aloy muttered something beneath her breath, prompting Anukai to glance toward her, while she also caught Lukas turning to her, as well. The older redhead quickly fell silent, however, slowly turning her mug in place on the table with her fingers as she stared down at it. 

“So,” Lukas continued, bringing Anukai’s attention back to him, “your story of seeing a family member captured, while the three of you sit here, now, is of particular interest to me.” 

The Banuk redhead felt her body tense as her heart beat pounded in her ears. She became increasingly aware of her hunting knife tied to her hip and her bow strung across her back as she tried to swallow the heavy lump in her throat while meeting the man’s gaze across from her. 

“Oh?” 

“As I said, they do not tend to actively seek out individuals, however if you are seeking them, I take it you are not returning to where they were taken,” Lukas continued. “They have sought you, and wish for you to pay a price for it.” 

Anukai tried not to obviously take her gaze away from Lukas, but focused on whether she could detect motion in her periphery, although she found that it was becoming increasingly difficult as her vision almost began to constrict, the edges blurring as she felt herself enter into a similar state as when staring down an angry Scorcher or Frostclaw. 

“Why do they seek you?” Lukas asked calmly, his expression more curious than accusatory. 

After several long moments of silence, the man cleared his throat, leaning in over the table slightly. 

“You are not the first to come here seeking New Dawn to the north,” he said quietly, “nor the first to suggest that they seek you, as well.” 

Finally, Anukai took a deep breath, her hands beginning to uncurl from around the mug before her. 

“We’re not sure why they seek us,” she said slowly, “but that’s partly why we came here to find out.” 

As the Banuk redhead’s hands began to lift toward her hood, Aloy’s hand quickly grabbed her wrist, prompting her to glance over at her. The older redhead stared back at her with a tense expression, her jaw clenched. Their eyes met for a moment or two before Anukai lifted her other hand, pushing her hood back, still maintaining her eye contact. The sound of a gasp from nearby prompted the Banuk to turn back toward Lukas, noting that while he had sat back in his seat, he did not appear to be the one that had made the sound. Instead, one of the elders at the fire several yards behind him was looking toward her, an expression of shock on her face. 

“Another?” the elder suddenly said. 

Anukai’s eyebrows raised as Lukas nodded slowly. 

“You are not the first with hair like flames to pass through here,” he said. “She also sought New Dawn, while stating that they sought her.” 

“Did she say why?” 

Lukas shook his head. 

“She also did not know.” 

“Where is she?” 

“Gone to the North,” he replied, “several weeks past, now.” 

Anukai nodded slowly before glancing toward Aloy beside her to find the older redhead still remained with her hood up for the moment, her hands clasped tightly on the table before her, having released the younger redhead’s wrist after she had lowered her hood, anyway. 

“I take it they seek you, too.” 

Both redheads glanced toward Lukas to find him looking toward Aloy, specifically. 

“Why do you say that?” she replied. 

“Because you have the same face,” he said, gesturing to Anukai. 

Aloy paused for a moment as a shiver ran down the Banuk redhead’s spine. Finally, the older redhead sighed, nodding as she slid her hood back, as well. 

“You bear the same face, the same hair… yet I do not believe the girl who passed through here before is the family member you seek,” Lukas said softly. 

Anukai shook her head. 

“Perhaps I may understand more of why New Dawn seeks you, then.” 

Immediately, all three women seemed to come to attention, focusing on Lukas across from them. 

“O-oh?” Anukai said quickly. 

“You seem to bear the same legacy as their leader, this Faro they worship like a god-king,” Lukas said. “Generations of an individual, seemingly reincarnate in the same image, each time.” 

The redheads exchanged glances, Anukai noting how Aloy’s jaw worked tensely, her eyes still focused but clearly lost in thought behind them. 

“You would seem to be a challenge to that,” Lukas continued. “New Dawn follows as they believe in whatever he speaks, as most people cannot explain how this Faro seems to exist, and if this figure exists for this long…” 

“How could he be anything less than a god?” Anukai spat, her hands curling into fists on the table. 

Lukas nodded, folding his hands neatly before him, once again. 

“I do not sense that you are gods, though.” 

Despite herself, a short, dry laugh escaped Anukai as she shook her head. 

“I don’t feel like one.” 

Several long moments of silence fell over them before Lukas nodded, once again. 

“Then it would seem to be true that New Dawn follows a lie.” 

This time, it was Aloy who let out a laugh, but hers carried a hint of anger and malice to it. 

“Of course they do,” she said. “All cults do.” 

Silence fell over the table, once again, for several long moments before Lukas let out a heavy sigh, placing his hands palms down on the table before him. 

“We will see what we have that you may need for your journey, and we can negotiate a fair trade for them.” 

“Thank you,” Anukai nodded. 

“There is a larger storm coming,” Lukas continued. “We can provide shelter until it passes.” 

“I—we don’t have much to trade for—” 

“Do not worry about trade for shelter,” he interrupted. “For supplies, you are already low, so we can come to a trade that does not ask you to place yourselves at a disadvantage.” 

With that, Lukas began to rise from his seat, prompting the women to also do so, Anukai lifting her mug before quickly drinking the rest of the tea in it. 

“Come, I will show you to where you may stay.” 

Anukai moved to follow around the table, but Aloy stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, prompting the Banuk redhead to glance over at her. 

“I hope you haven’t dropped your guard,” the older redhead whispered. 

“No, but we haven’t been shown a reason to fear the worst.” 

“That can change at any moment.” 

“And I’m ready, just in case,” Anukai shot back in a heated whisper, leaning in toward Aloy. “I’m tired, but I haven’t forgotten.” 

The older redhead stared back at her for a moment or two before nodding, letting her hand slide from her shoulder as she moved to fall in behind the Banuk girls. Lukas led them away from the covered platform, back onto the rain-drenched walkways, prompting Anukai to pull her hood over her head, once again. The man led them through several winding paths before coming to a stop outside a wooden shack, glancing back to make sure the women had followed. 

“There should be space in here,” he said, pushing open the door and leading the way inside. 

Anukai paused for a moment, one hand instinctually reaching toward the knife holster on her belt before she paused, ultimately deciding to leave her hand in the general vicinity as she moved to follow Lukas. As she entered the space, she glanced around quickly, but didn’t see any figures other than the man who had led them inside. Turning her focus to actually taking in the space, she found that it appeared to be storage of some kind, with large, wooden barrels and burlap bags stacked on the far side of the room. 

Lukas approached a lantern placed on one of the barrels in the center of the room and leaned toward it. Anukai noted how he pressed what appeared to be some kind of knob on the side of its base, which created a spark inside the glass container on the top, igniting a flame a moment later. As he turned the knob, the flame grew larger and the light cast further, eventually revealing the interior of the room with greater detail. 

“I apologize that it is not true housing,” he said, turning back to the women as the three of them stepped farther into the room, “but it is shelter from the rain and wind.” 

“That it is,” Aloy nodded, glancing around. 

“Thank you,” Anukai added, lowering her hood and shaking her head slightly against the dampness that had settled over her. 

“Do you have provisions for the night?” Lukas asked, remaining by the lantern as Anukai continued to move farther into the room, glancing around at the various items stored inside it. 

“Some,” the Banuk redhead replied, turning back to the man across the room. “We caught some game earlier, but very few stored provisions.” 

“We can offer a fire to cook your catches, if you wish,” Lukas replied, nodding. 

Anukai nodded in response, as well, turning to unload items like her bedroll in one corner of the shack. 

“How long until this storm hits?” Aloy asked, still remaining near the door where they had entered. 

“Likely within the next hour or two,” Lukas said. “The darkest clouds continue to blow in from across the water.” 

“You asked about for the night,” the older redhead continued, glancing toward the Banuk girls as they removed their equipment other than their weapons in one corner of the room. “Do you expect it to stay for a while?” 

“These storms tend to pass over slowly,” Lukas said. “By the time the worst has moved on, it will likely be nightfall.” 

Anukai glanced toward Aloy to find the older redhead’s lips drawn into a thin line, her jaw working tensely. 

“We’ll still need to repay them,” she said, drawing Aloy’s attention. “We can still leave tomorrow morning.” 

The older redhead did not look particularly enthused, but didn’t put up a further argument, instead removing her bedroll, as they had, but placing hers in the opposite corner. Anukai frowned slightly, but turned to make sure she was properly unburdened before moving toward the center of the room, where Lukas waited, once again. 

“You’ve said that other red-haired girl came through here, before,” she began, “did she… did she say anything about where she was from… anything other than just going to the North?” 

“She did not speak much about herself, other than to say where she was going,” he replied, shaking his head. “She did, however, also use a false name at first.” 

Anukai froze, her heart rate quickly accelerating as she swallowed nervously. 

“I understand trust is hard to give,” Lukas continued, “as I have said. I do not fault you.” 

“H-how did you… know?” the Banuk redhead replied. 

“The hesitation before volunteering information,” Lukas said. “If you wished to truly conceal, hesitation before not providing an answer would be understandable, but it was more of a pause to think.” 

Anukai simply blinked in response as the man’s lips pulled back in the faintest hints of a grin. 

“As I said, I do not fault you.” 

With that, he turned to the rest of the group, glancing around before clearing his throat. 

“I will show you to where you can prepare your meal,” he said. “Come.” 

As he made his way toward the door where they had originally entered, Anukai glanced to the two other women to find them also sharing similarly wary expressions. Aloy followed after Lukas first, however, pulling her hood over her head as she carried the stored catches from earlier in the day at her side. When Anukai reached Ikrie, the dark-haired girl cleared her throat. 

“Are we really that bad at lying?” she whispered. 

“We do have a history of being found out rather quickly,” the redhead sighed, shaking her head. 

Ikrie smirked before placing a quick kiss on her cheek. 

“It’s because everyone can see right through you, deep down.” 

“Me? Who said it’s been my fault?” 

The dark-haired girl laughed as Anukai pushed her playfully out the door ahead of her, shaking her head before pulling her hood up, once again. Lukas led them back to the main platform where they had first spoken at the tables, although now it was filled with more people. There seemed to be an equal amount of adults and children, but it was hard to discern as the youngest of them continued to race about, darting between the adults before many of them even had a chance to realize what was happening. 

The elders still remained by the fire in the corner, although Anukai noted now that a pile of what appeared to be cooked fish lay on several large, wooden boards on the table beside them. Lukas stepped over to them, speaking softly with the grey-haired woman nearest to him for a moment or two before she glanced back at the travelling women, seemingly sizing them up for a moment, before turning back to the man and nodding. When he returned, Anukai cast a wary glance toward the elders, once again, noting that several of them had glanced in their direction and appeared to be muttering amongst themselves. 

“The village meal will be ready soon,” Lukas said, coming to a stop before the women, “and you are free to use the fire, then.” 

They all nodded before he glanced back to the crowd of people. 

“Excuse me, there are some matters I must attend to for the moment,” he began, turning back to the women as he spoke. “Do you know the route back to your lodging?” 

Anukai could vaguely trace the route in her mind, but she shrugged in response, not entirely confident in the memory. 

“I will make sure to find you once we have finished here, then,” he said, nodding before slipping away into the crowd nearby. 

In the wake of his departure, the three women remained at the edge of the platform, scanning over the group before them as none of them seemed to know what to do or say, next. Anukai continued to take in the make-up of the group before them, noting that they certainly seemed to have more in common with the Banuk or the Nora than the Carja. Most every adult looked built like a hunter, while their clothing conveyed its utilitarian nature, as Lukas’s had. The few splashes of color the redhead did notice came from the small children, who seemed to wear beads at the end of sections of hair tied behind them, both the boys and the girls. Some had more than the others, but she noted when one girl stopped by a woman, presumably her mother, to get her attention, Anukai noted that the beads seemed to follow a pattern, starting at the end of the section of hair and moving up toward her scalp. 

“Marks of learning,” Aloy said softly, prompting Anukai to start, glancing toward her quickly. 

“What?” 

“The beads, it’s like what the Nora practice,” the older redhead said, nodding toward the child Anukai had been studying. “When you pass certain trials or prove that you’ve learned something, like a skill, you earn marks to show this, like the beads in the hair.” 

“None of the adults have them.” 

Aloy shrugged. 

“Don’t need to prove anything when you’re older… you just survive or die.” 

Anukai’s lips drew into a thin line as she glanced toward Ikrie on her other side, noting how the dark-haired girl drew a similar expression. 

“Guess we all had that in common, growing up.” 

Within a few minutes, one of the elders rose from her seat by the fire and gestured to the travelling women for them to approach. They did so, cautiously, but when they reached her, she simply offered the space to them so that they could prepare their food. With that, the elders all vacated their seats, moving instead to begin passing out the cooked fish from the nearby table. 

Anukai initially took the lead with one of the sections of fox meat, but upon delivering a rather tough, well-cooked flank of brown meat, Aloy interrupted to take over. The Banuk redhead sulked as the older redhead delivered a much more appetizing portion of meat that still showed signs of juiciness and cut easily with her hunting knife. Ikrie glanced back at Anukai, smirking as the redhead refused to meet her gaze. 

In the end, they were forced to split the two sections, although Anukai took the largest portion of her own creation; Aloy let her take some of her creation, but the younger redhead’s face still burned as she accepted it. Once their food had been portioned out, they made their way to one of the tables that was emptier than the rest, with only three others seated at the far end. When they sat, however, Anukai noted that two of them were the boys from earlier, when they had first arrived. They locked eyes with the Banuk redhead for a moment before both parties turned back to their food without a word. 

The three women ate in silence, although Anukai noted how Ikrie remained pressed against her side, her knee jostling hers slightly as it bounced. When the redhead glanced toward the dark-haired girl, she saw how her eyes continued to scan the crowd around them, although she tried to hide it when she noted Anukai watching her. The redhead sighed, turning back to her food as she struggled her way through the remaining, chewy portion. 

Over the course of finishing their food, the world had grown darker and darker around them as the clouds grew thicker and blocked out more of the sunlight from overhead. The rain had momentarily let up, but based on how it almost appeared to be nighttime when Anukai’s intuition told her it should have been mid-afternoon, she had feeling it wouldn’t last. Evidently, neither did the rest of the village, as they began to clear their tables and move to return to their homes. 

When the women rose from their seats, Anukai spotted Lukas stepping away from the woman and the girl she had spotted earlier, approaching them before coming to a stop at the end of the table, glancing down at the boys he had led earlier. They both quickly bowed their heads before slipping away, cleaning their places at the table to return the wooden plates to the pile where the serving had occurred earlier. 

“The storm is nearly here,” Lukas said, gesturing to the travelling women. “Come, I will show you to your accommodations.” 

With that, the women rose from their seats, following him toward the exit of the main platform. Just as they joined the line of people making their way onto the walkways beyond, Anukai heard a voice from behind her and glanced back to see one of the boys from earlier evidently attempting to get her attention. She paused, glancing back at him before also sparing a glance to see Ikrie slowing ahead of her, looking over her shoulder, as well. 

“I wanted to apologize,” the boy said, his hands wringing before him. 

“For what?” 

“For aiming my weapon at you earlier,” he said. 

“You had no reason to trust me. I understand.” 

“I—I know, but… I still wanted to apologize.” 

Anukai stared back at the boy for a moment or two as he shifted somewhat uncomfortably under her gaze. 

“There’s something else you want to ask, right?” 

The boy froze for a moment before finally nodding. 

“Are… you’re not the same as the girl who came through before,” he began, “but… do you know her?” 

“The one with red hair like me?” 

He nodded. 

“I don’t think I do,” Anukai replied, shaking her head. “I think we’re looking for the same thing, though.” 

“So you will go where she did?” 

“To the north?” 

The boy nodded again. 

“That’s our plan, for now.” 

The boy continued to nod, but glanced away from her, seemingly unable to maintain eye contact. 

“Did you know her?” 

He started at Anukai’s question, his eyes widening for a moment before he cleared his throat. 

“W-we spoke while she was here,” he said, nodding. 

“Anukai!” 

The redhead whirled around to find Aloy standing just inside the entrance to the covered platform, the rest of the line of residents already long gone. The Banuk turned back to the boy behind her, chewing the inside of her cheek for a moment. 

“What’s your name?” she asked. 

“Sylar.” 

The redhead nodded shortly. 

“We’ll talk more soon.” 

With that, she turned and hurried over to join the rest of her group and Lukas, glancing toward the older redhead who was staring back at her with an unreadable expression. 

“We must go, now,” Lukas said before either of them could speak, turning and quickly striding away, leaving the women to move quickly to keep up. 

Once they had wound their way through the raised, wooden walkways to the front door of the storage shack where they had been shown earlier, the first hints of rain began to fall, once again, prompting Lukas to glance back toward the darkened sky. 

“The door should latch from inside,” he said. “Make sure it is. The wind may blow it open, otherwise.” 

Anukai nodded, urging the others to enter first. Just before Lukas turned to leave fully, however, she grabbed his arm, stopping him. When he glanced back, she cleared her throat. 

“Thank you, once again,” she said. 

He simply nodded, but remained as the redhead chewed the inside of her cheek, once again. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh. 

“Anukai,” she said softly. 

Lukas stared back at her for a moment before the corners of his lips pulled back in a slight grin. 

“Ashana,” he replied, the redhead’s confusion only prompting him to grin broader. “The other’s name.” 

Anukai’s eyes widened slightly as she nodded, Lukas finally turning to make his way back along the walkways to his own home, presumably. The redhead stared after him for a moment before a rumble of thunder broke her out of her reverie, prompting her to glance toward the sky quickly before slipping into the shack and pushing the door closed behind her. The latch Lukas had mentioned was a simple piece of wooden boarding that she slid across a set of holders on either side of the entryway. Once it was in place and she was reasonably certain it wouldn’t immediately slide or fall out, she turned back to the room at large, sighing. 

“Storm bad enough to rip a door open,” Aloy commented, shaking her head. “Been a while since I’ve sat through one like that.” 

“Are there even really storms in the desert?” Anukai asked, kneeling beside her bedroll and removing it from amidst the other items they had left behind earlier. 

“Sometimes,” the older redhead replied, “but more so in the Embrace.” 

The Banuk redhead glanced back at her in confusion, prompting Aloy to clear her throat. 

“Nora lands,” she clarified. “The area inside the main gates is called the Embrace. Even with the—changes—over the years, it’s an area that is rarely seen to outsiders, unless on official envoy business or escorted by a Nora.” 

“Didn’t think the Nora made too many friends outside their lands,” Anukai replied, unclasping her bedroll and shaking it to try to remove as much moisture as possible before placing it on the ground. 

“Not usually,” Aloy replied, shrugging as she leaned up against the far wall, also similarly letting her bedroll attempt to dry on the floor by her feet. “There were a few who were willing to make exceptions.” 

The younger redhead simply nodded, taking a seat atop one of the barrels beside the one where the lantern sat in the center of the room. 

“So,” she began slowly, “this other mysterious red-haired woman passed through here, too.” 

“Does that surprise you?” Aloy replied, raising her eyebrows slightly. 

“It’s wide open land,” Anukai shrugged. “Not like this is a major city, and we weren’t planning to find this place.” 

“No, but with someone who knows a likely similar amount as us and _thinks_ like us, most likely, it doesn’t seem that unlikely, to me.” 

The younger redhead shivered at Aloy’s comment, but quickly took a deep breath, trying to dispel the feeling. 

“What if she gets there before us?” she continued. 

“That’s more than likely a given,” Aloy retorted. “She’s had a several week headstart, according to Lukas.” 

Anukai nodded slowly as she glanced toward Ikrie to find the dark-haired girl had removed her outer cloak, laying it on the ground beside her bedroll, along with her weapons. With a sigh, she rose to her feet, running her hands through her now rather shaggy, dark hair, shaking some of it away from her forehead as best she could, before she made her way toward Anukai, leaning against the edge of the barrel beside her and folding her arms. 

“That would put her likely reaching this city near the mountain before we even got to Reva, wouldn’t it?” she asked, as she adjusted her position against the barrel’s side. 

Aloy nodded slowly, her jaw working slowly as her eyes glazed over in thought. 

“So that also means that she likely wasn’t successful…” 

The Banuk girls remained silent as they stared back at Aloy. 

“It wasn’t her contacting us in Reva, and if she was already there…” 

“Maybe she was also trying to infiltrate, take her time,” Anukai suggested. 

“You saw how quickly they found us in Reva,” the older redhead shot back, her eyes returning to clarity as she glanced up at her. “She would be in their home city… there’s no way she lasted for weeks undetected.” 

The Banuk redhead’s jaw worked tensely as she felt her teeth grinding for a moment, before she felt Ikrie lean into her side slightly, prompting her to glance over at her. The dark-haired girl offered a small smile, prompting Anukai to sigh heavily, turning her attention back to Aloy. 

“So, we wait out tonight, negotiate a trade with Lukas and whoever here, and then we’re on our way tomorrow?” 

“Sounds like the plan,” Aloy agreed, nodding. “Whatever it is they want, I hope we can get it out of the way before midday tomorrow.” 

Soon after, the storm seemed to settle over the village, the thunder growing louder and more frequent, while Anukai caught flashes of the lightning through the small spaces between the wooden boards of the walls. When the wind and rain began to pick up, they quickly discovered Lukas’s warning had not been in vain, as Anukai swore she could feel the entire structure move and bend slightly under some of the gusts, meanwhile the front door shook and rattled in place, only held by the latch she had placed across it earlier. 

Eventually, the women pulled their bedrolls into the center of the room, noting how small puddles of water were forming near the cracks at the bases of the walls. Patting the top of hers, Anukai decided it was about as dry as it was going to get, and she finally removed her outer cloak and equipment, placing them nearby before placing her hands on her lower back and stretching it with a groan. 

“Sore?” Aloy asked. 

“Already thinking how I will be after tonight,” the younger redhead sighed. 

“Not much different than the woods, a cave, or the beach.” 

“We’ll see.” 

With that, Anukai took a seat on her bedroll, frowning slightly that while drier than it was before, it was not entirely dried through. Ultimately, she sighed, giving up on worrying about it as she laid lengthwise on it, folding her hands over her stomach. Ikrie took a seat on hers, situated between the redhead and the barrels in the center of the room. A moment later, Anukai saw her reach for one of her hands, gently lifting her left one and pulling the hunting glove off and laying it on the ground beside her. The redhead watched as Ikrie’s fingers wrapped around her hand, her fingertips tracing over her palm and along her fingers as Anukai noted the soft sensations that registered along with the motions. 

“You think they would have shot us if they saw it, first?” 

Confusion creased the dark-haired girl’s face before Anukai wiggled her fingers. 

“You know… thinking we were New Dawn and all that.” 

Ikrie seemed to realize what she was asking and let out a soft “oh”, her lips quickly twisting into a frown before she leaned forward, placing a gently kiss against Anukai’s knuckles. 

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “They do seem to live outside of machines and everything.” 

“Despite New Dawn and whatever miracles they perform,” Aloy suddenly interjected, prompting both Banuk girls to jump, glancing toward her. “Keep your glove on around them, Anukai. If they didn’t notice already, maybe we don’t want to tempt them.” 

The younger redhead’s teeth ground for a moment, but she ultimately said nothing, instead lying back on her bedroll with a heavy sigh and staring up at the ceiling. A moment later, she felt motion beside her, only for Ikrie’s arms to wrap around her, the dark-haired girl pressing herself insistently into her side as she laid her head on the redhead’s shoulder. 

The sounds of the storm outside continued, but didn’t seem to escalate further, for long enough that Anukai definitively believed Lukas that the storms didn’t move quickly. Eventually, she adjusted her position slightly, wrapping one arm around Ikrie, as well, before closing her eyes. 

Although she didn’t feel tired, she found herself almost instantly falling into a sleep-like state, the sounds of the storm around her quickly fading away until only a strange, soft hum remained. Just as confusion settled in, she attempted to open her eyes, only for the world to be filled with a bright light, prompting her to try to squeeze them shut as quickly as she could. Along with the blast of light, she could now make out the sound of voices and footsteps. 

When her eyes finally managed to open, she could make out what appeared to be a grey, metal surface before her, lit by an incredibly harsh light from overhead. Her head slowly lifted to find three pairs of legs on the other side of what appeared to be metal bars. Two of the pairs walked normally, while the third dragged limply across the ground between them. 

Anukai tried to focus on the image even as it began to blur and dim slightly, as she felt herself shake slightly. 

“Keeping—one?” 

The voice echoed inside her head as she desperately tried to blink, but it only brought some relief to the blurriness, while the darkness at the edges of her vision only seemed to grow stronger, but her head tilted back to see one of the standing pairs of legs before her. 

“Something—full set.” 

“Cute.” 

One of the feet from the pair before suddenly kicked at the bars, prompting her to recoil and nearly fall onto her side as her arms didn’t seem to want to respond to help hold her in place. As the legs finally turned and began to walk away, once again, Anukai was able to focus on the shape that they had deposited across from her, on the other side of another set of metal bars. Although the image was blurry, she tried to focus as best she could, all while the darkness at the edges of her vision encroached more and more. 

Suddenly, the world seemed to snap into startling clarity as she was able to discern the shape across from her. 

Anukai’s eyes widened at the sight of a head of raven hair, but before she could say anything, she found herself sitting bolt upright, the brightly-lit metal replaced with the wood bathed in the soft, orange glow of the lantern nearby. The Banuk redhead blinked several times, but the image didn’t return, so she let out a heavy sigh, reaching up to wipe at her eyes with one hand. 

As it fell back into her lap, she happened to notice that Aloy was also sitting up on her bedroll, her chest heaving as she stared vacantly into the air before her. Finally, the older redhead’s gaze turned to Anukai as she blinked rapidly, wiping at her eyes as the younger girl had done moments ago. Their eyes remained locked for several long moments before they both nodded slowly. 

“Tomorrow,” Aloy whispered hoarsely. 

“By midday,” Anukai confirmed. 

With that, the Banuk redhead laid back down on her bedroll, sparing one last glance toward Aloy to see that she had risen from hers and begun to pace about the other half of the shack. Swallowing heavily, Anukai turned back to Ikrie to find the dark-haired girl with one eye cracked open. The redhead offered a tight-lipped expression before leaning in to place a gently kiss on her. 

Neither of them spoke after they pulled apart, but Anukai felt Ikrie slid closer, tucking her head forward so her cheek rested against the redhead’s collarbone while one hand sought out Anukai’s, squeezing it firmly. The Banuk redhead returned the gesture carefully with her left hand before laying her right arm over the dark-haired girl, securing her in place. 

The sounds of Aloy’s pacing were just rhythmic enough that Anukai was able to close her eyes and attempt to fall into sleep, once again, but she ultimately found herself focusing more on the warmth of Ikrie curled into her, tracking the rise and fall of her torso with each breath until she felt hers fall into synch. 

Even despite the sensations she had focused so carefully on before her, she couldn’t ignore the feeling that had begun to seep into the back of her mind. It had been such a powerful burst right at the end of her dream, that she had no doubt it was what had thrown her awake, but even after it had dulled, it still left a burn deep inside her chest and along her spine. 

It was like rage, terror, and sadness all combined into a single, potent solution that had poured directly into her veins, her body bearing it throughout itself of its own accord. 

She didn’t have to contemplate where it had come from. 

Anukai instinctually squeezed Ikrie a little tighter, the dark-haired girl responding by tightening her grip on her hand, in turn. 

“ _Tomorrow_.”


	3. The Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is for real. It's Monday.
> 
> Trucking right along.
> 
> Oh, and I took a little something from the Horizon Forbidden West trailer, so I have no idea if it's exactly right but hey, it was convenient for me.

Eventually, the storm seemed to pass, while Anukai couldn’t remember exactly when it had, or when she had fallen asleep again. When she opened her eyes, however, she found that the world outside the shack still seemed to be dark, as she couldn’t make out the signs of sunlight through the small gaps between the wooden slats in the walls. With a sigh, she tried to turn back toward the sense of warmth beside her, but before she could fully bury herself against Ikrie, once again, the sound of voices outside prompted her to pause.  


Rolling onto her back slightly, she stared toward the door to the shack, focusing intently on the sounds from moments ago. She was able to make out what seemed to be a crowd of people, but she couldn’t distinguish any of the individuals. With a frown, she carefully extracted herself from Ikrie’s grasp and slipped toward the door, coming to a stop before it and pressing her ear to the surface. The voices were slightly louder, and she could now make out footsteps, but she still couldn’t figure out who was speaking, or how many of them were outside.  


Pulling away from the door and taking a deep breath, she pulled on the handle until it caught against the latch she had placed earlier, but the motion was enough to free a small gap between the portal and the doorframe. As she carefully placed one eye against the opening, she was able to catch sight of what seemed to be the glow of fires outside and the occasional figure moving before them.  


Swallowing nervously, she released the door before slipping over to her things on the floor, kneeling beside them and scooping up her bow and quiver, attaching the latter to her belt before also making sure to strap her hunting knife to it, as well. As she was about to rise to her feet to leave, she paused, frowning slightly before grabbing the pair of hunting gloves from where she had thrown them earlier, pulling them on so they came to rest just at her elbows. With a sigh, she finally stood with her bow held ready in her left hand. When she reached the door, once again, she reached to move the latch aside before pausing, glancing back toward the darkened room behind her. Although she could barely make out the shapes of Ikrie and Aloy on the floor, she could at least see that neither of them appeared to be stirring awake. 

With another deep inhale, Anukai carefully removed the wooden latch, placing it against the wall to the right of the door before carefully pulling the portal open. Once it was wide enough for her to slip through, she paused, glancing outside to find that no figures nor fire seemed to be waiting for her just outside. A moment later, she had squeezed past the doorframe and pulled the door closed behind her. 

The fires she had seen earlier appeared to be torches carried by some members of the village as they made their way toward its center, once again. Anukai cautiously began to make her way along the various walkways, following a vague path that seemed to lead toward the signs of light ahead. When she reached a sharp left turn, she stepped around it only to find several figures holding torches ahead, prompting her to immediately freeze. 

They all glanced toward her before also freezing in place. Several long, tense moments of silence passed before one of the figures seemed to squint slightly and step forward. 

“You’re the other red-haired girl.” 

Anukai quickly recognized the voice from the boy who had approached her as they left the dining area before the storm, her fingers adjusting their grip on her bow self-consciously. 

“I’m sorry, we didn’t want to wake you,” he continued. 

“For what?” 

“For a hunt.” 

The redhead’s eyes darted quickly between all three figures as she refused to relax her grip on her bow. 

“A hunt for what?” 

“Food, for most,” the boy, Sylar she remembered him mentioning, said, “but for some, supplies from machines.” 

Confusion creased Anukai’s face as she paused her frantic surveillance for a moment. 

“You hunt machines?” 

“How else would we get some supplies?” Sylar replied. 

The redhead’s jaw worked in thought for a moment before she raised her eyebrows. 

“Why go now, at night?” 

“The storms tend to draw some of them out,” he replied. “Makes them easier to find.” 

“And you apologized for not coming to find me?” 

The boy nodded. 

“Because you need a larger hunting party?” 

Sylar paused, glancing back at the two boys behind him before turning to Anukai again and nodding. 

“I’m sure Lukas would take it as repayment or a trade,” he said quickly. 

The redhead thought it over for another moment or two before she sighed, shrugging. 

“I suppose I can join for the night.” 

Sylar paused for a moment before a grin began to tug at his lips. 

“Come.” 

With that, he turned back to the other two boys, leading the way back along the walkways farther into the village. Anukai nervously adjusted her quiver at her hip before following behind them, still keeping her bow held at the ready at her side. Eventually, they converged on the covered platform with the tables where they had eaten earlier, the boys leaving the torches in holders at the edge of it before joining the larger group in the center. Sylar glanced back to make sure Anukai was still following before remaining at the edge of the group before her, a single figure climbing atop a table in the center. 

“With the storms come promising hunting,” Lukas said, glancing around the gathered group. “We run low on supplies, but stay vigilant. A hunt at night brings its own perils.” 

As his gaze swept over the group, he seemed to pause on Anukai, confusion creasing his face for a moment before he quickly tried to pass it off, clearing his throat. 

“Assemble your parties, stock with what you need, and you may reap that which you hunt.” 

With that, the assembled crowd seemed to murmur an agreement before turning to dissipate. Sylar glanced back at Anukai for a moment before slipping forward through the spreading crowd. The redhead moved out of the way of most figures who moved to past her, self-consciously placing her left hand over the portion of her left, upper arm where the hunting glove didn’t cover the metal. 

A few moments later, when most of the crowd had left, she noted Sylar and Lukas approaching her. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her stance, lifting her head slightly as they came to a stop before her. 

“You wish to join a hunt?” Lukas asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“I can handle my own,” she replied. 

The older man nodded, glancing toward Sylar before grinning and turning back to the redhead. 

“Make sure this one and his friends return to their mothers by morning, and we will call any debt square.” 

The redhead nodded, prompting the boy to frown slightly as Lukas laughed. 

“I wish you the best of luck,” the man said to Anukai before turning to the boy beside him. “Perhaps you may learn from an experienced hunter who is not me, for once.” 

Sylar frowned as Lukas laughed, turning back to the Banuk redhead. 

“Good luck on your hunt.” 

With that, he made his way after another group of adults who were making their way out of the covered platform, leaving Anukai and Sylar alone as the redhead turned back to him, raising her eyebrows. 

“So… what are we looking for?” 

Within a few minutes, the trio of boys had equipped themselves with weapons, leading Anukai to the beach at the edge of the village before coming to a stop, glancing back at her. 

“We’ll go into the forest,” Sylar explained. 

“What machine do you seek?” 

The boys all glanced at each other before grinning, Sylar speaking for them. 

“A Shellsnapper.” 

Confusion creased Anukai’s face, but the boys refused to elaborate, instead ushering her into the trees with them, quickly leaving the beach behind for the damp, thick forestation further inland. As they moved through the darkened trees, Anukai discreetly reached for the Focus beside her ear before pausing for a moment and lowering her hand, not wanting its light to attract the attention of her hunting partners. 

After they had gone for what must have been a mile or two, the boy at the head of the group suddenly raised his fist and the rest dropped to crouched positions, prompting Anukai to do the same. Squinting through the darkness, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, or any signs of artificial lights ahead of her. With a frown, she glanced toward Sylar to find him holding one finger to his lips. The Banuk redhead raised her eyebrows before pausing as the sound of something moving from her left drew her attention. 

As she turned her head to follow the sound, she froze, finding that a portion of ground that she had assumed was just another section of dirt, moss, and brush, was now rising from the ground, spilling water into the swamp around it, as it did. The redhead’s eyes widened as she took in how broad the shape that rose from the damp ground was, until her gaze seemed to lock with the red glow of the machine’s eyes as it turned toward her. 

“Shellsnapper…” she muttered. 

“That’s it.” 

A second red, glowing eye joined the first as they locked on her and she slowly began to back away, trying to put more than a yard or so between herself and the massive machine. It was easily several yards across and at least as tall as a Shellwalker, but with what appeared to be a largely armor-plated shell that covered its back. Quickly, Anukai went to tap at her Focus, only to realize that it wasn’t sitting beside her ear. The realization that she had left it with the rest of her things quickly settled into her stomach like a stone as she instead drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it to her bow. 

“Don’t shoot for its back, it’s too thick,” Sylar whispered. 

“Thanks for the advice.” 

Just then, the machine let out a loud, mechanical growl as it turned fully to face Anukai and she drew her bow. A moment later, however, she noted how several rocks nearby seemed to be lifting from the ground and she swore, quickly diving to her right just before the rocks flew at her previous position with the speed of one of her own arrows. When she popped back into a crouched position, she glanced back toward the large machine to see its gaze had seemed to follow her, but it had now begun to trudge out of the small, swamp-like lake where it had first appeared. 

“Okay, how do I kill you?” the redhead muttered, adjusting her grip on her bow, once again. 

A moment later, she had replaced her original arrow with one of her few remaining tearblast arrows, taking aim at the portion of the machine just above its head. As the arrowhead slammed into its target, the sound of the loud whirring building prompted her to quickly attempt to place another yard or so between herself and the impending blast. A moment later, the noise reached its peak and the sound of the machine’s mechanical cry combined with the feeling of the shockwave from the arrow washed over her, prompting Anukai to stagger for a step or two, throwing her arm out to catch a nearby tree trunk to steady herself. 

When she finally whirled back around toward the machine, she found that a great deal of the moss and mud atop it had been blown clear by the tearblast arrow, although very little of the armor plating seemed to have been affected. With the additional visibility, she was able to make out what appeared to be an incredibly thick slab of metal in a vague dome shape over the top of the squat body beneath. 

A moment later, the machine’s red eyes seemed to focus on her, once again, and it began to stomp through the trees, knocking several of them over as it pursued her. Anukai swore under her breath before raising her bow, nocking an arrow to it in one smooth motion. Her eyes tracked the arrowhead from the moment it was loosed until it slammed into one of the machine’s eyes, sending a small shower of sparks into the air, while the Shellsnapper paused, shaking its head in pain. 

Just then, she saw a small, dark figure charging toward the machine, followed soon after by other shouts from around them. As Anukai watched, the figure seemed to leap onto one of the front legs of the machine, using it to throw himself into the air as he swung what appeared to be a spear toward its neck. A moment later, the weapon found its mark, but the tip seemed to glance off, only providing a few sparks for its effort before flying from the hands of the figure, clattering harmlessly off the other side of the Shellsnapper’s head. 

The shouting from the others in the group grew louder as the figure next to the machine quickly scrambled to his feet, attempting to turn and run away from it. As he did, the Shellsnapper turned toward him, the one fully-functioning red eye tracking the dark silhouette. A moment later, the sound of a loud, mechanical whirring began to build before the machine’s head suddenly shot forward, its sharp, metal beak of a mouth reaching for the retreating boy. At the last moment, he threw himself to the left, however, just narrowly avoiding the massive jaws behind him as they slammed close with an intimidating metal clank. 

Anukai’s eyes widened slightly as she watched the machine’s neck retreat into its body, once again, its eyes seemingly searching for its target, once more. 

“Okay… snapper… I get it…” the redhead panted, adjusting her grip on her bow, once again before glancing around the nearby trees. 

She was able to locate one of the other figures nearby, so she scurried across the muddy ground as quickly as she could until she reached them, coming to a stop in a crouched position behind the boy. He jumped at the sound of her approaching, but upon glancing back relaxed somewhat. 

“So, you go for its neck?” Anukai asked. 

“Some try, but it is the most dangerous,” he nodded. 

“What other options are there?” 

“The legs will cripple it, make it unable to move, but it can still throw rocks at you,” he said. “There are breathing spots along its sides, too.” 

“Breathing spots?” 

The boy pointed to the right side of the machine, Anukai following his gesture until she noted what appeared to be some kind of metal grating placed at regular intervals. 

“The machine needs to breathe through them, especially when it’s attempting to throw rocks.” 

The redhead’s jaw worked in thought for a moment before she nodded. 

“That’s how we kill it.” 

“How do you intend to do that, then?” 

“Keep its attention so I can get around it.” 

With that, the redhead slipped away from the boy, sliding into cover behind another tree as the boy she had just left behind drew his bow, taking aim at the Shellsnapper’s head, loosing an arrow that glanced harmlessly off the machine, but effectively prompted it to turn toward him. Seizing her moment, Anukai scrambled across the damp, muddy ground until she had managed to get alongside the hulking mass of moss-covered metal, drawing two arrows from her quiver and glancing down at them. 

“Guess we make them count,” she muttered, sliding one back into the quiver before nocking the other, drawing her bow taut a moment later. 

As she did, the sound of an odd chirping came from her right and she paused, glancing toward it just in time to see a glowing, yellow eye turn to red before a bleating call sounded. A curse escaped the redhead as she shoved the tearblast arrow back into her quiver, reaching for one of her normal arrows, but by the time she had managed to draw one, she was forced to dive out of the way as the Watcher charged toward her, leaping into the air while kicking its sharp, talon-clad feet toward her. 

As Anukai popped to a kneeling position, she turned back to find the Watcher attempting to roll back onto its feet, once again, giving her a moment to glance around, noting several other Watchers had suddenly seemed to materialize out of the darkened trees. The call from her recent attacker, however, had begun to draw the Shellsnapper’s attention, quickly closing her window of opportunity. Grinding her teeth, the redhead nocked her arrow, taking aim at the Watcher as it finally managed to turn back to her. With a second of its red eye fixing on her, an arrowhead punched through it, sending a shower of sparks into the air and quickly bringing the Watcher’s internal workings to a stop. 

Before the Shellsnapper could make its full rotation, however, Anukai had quickly darted away, slipping across the mud and moss, once again, as she swung around trees for support. Eventually, she was able to skid to a stop beside one of the trees, planting one foot to hold herself in place as she slipped a tearblast arrow from her quiver, nocking it to her bow and taking aim at the grating on the side of the hulking machine before her. As she loosed the arrow, she watched its tip slip between two of the blades on the grating with a smirk. 

A moment later, the tearblast built to its climax, eliciting a powerful explosion from within the machine. Pieces of armor plating flew free as what appeared to be smoke poured from the hole where the former grating had been. The Shellsnapper staggered in place, one of its legs seemingly slipping into a small marsh beside the ground where it stood, prompting it to begin to slide into the watery hole. Although the smoke was blocked by the water it was now partially-submerged in, Anukai noted that the machine appeared to be attempting to scramble out of it as quickly as it could. 

Drawing a regular arrow, she took aim at the sparking and flickering red eye on its head, loosing the projectile and watching as its tip slammed into the light, firmly extinguishing it as the machine let out a bellow of pain. Its attempts to right itself were growing feebler, but before Anukai could loose another arrow or two, she saw one of the other members of their hunting party charging toward the machine, seemingly attempting a similar maneuver to his comrade earlier. 

The redhead’s eyes widened as she saw the Shellsnapper’s head turn toward him, and she began to let out a warning call, but her reaction was too late. The machine lunged forward, its metal jaws snapping angrily at the boy, and for a moment Anukai feared it had caught him, as she didn’t see his silhouette against the glowing eye of the enormous machine, but a moment later, a shower of sparks sprayed from the bottom of Shellsnapper’s neck. 

It let out another cry and seemed to try to pull its head back, but was unable as Anukai noted even more flashes of sparks and bolts of blue shock energy arcing from the tip of the spear the boy held. Finally, the figure beneath the Shellsnapper’s head rolled to his right, narrowly avoiding the massive, metal appendage as it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The redhead watched as the machine offered a few feeble attempts to lift itself, once again, only for one of the other figures to join the first, both driving spears into the sides of the Shellsnapper’s neck. Finally, it fell still, the remaining red light from its left eye also now fading. 

Several moments later, she glanced around, finding that no signs of the Watchers remained, either, prompting her to turn her attention back to the larger, metal carcass before her. Slowly, the group of three boys and the redhead gathered around the head of the machine, the boys all bowing their heads for a moment before looking up at it, once again. 

“You haven’t seen a Shellsnapper before, right?” one of them asked, turning to Anukai. 

“New to me,” she replied, shaking her head. 

“You fought decisively, though.” 

“I had help.” 

One of the other boys nodded before sighing. 

“Let’s take what we need.” 

With that, they set about stripping back the outer armor of the machine, digging internally for pieces of cabling, containers of some kind of deep blue liquid, and even pieces of the shell’s armor plating. As they continued their work, Anukai also quickly stripped the downed Watchers nearby, removing as many useful pieces she could, as well. Finally, when the group seemed satisfied, they reconvened before the head of their massive bounty. 

“Shall we return?” one of the boys asked. 

“Let’s return what we have. If we need more, we can set out for more,” the voice of the boy she recognized as Sylar said. 

With that, the group turned to begin their march back to the village, but Anukai kept her gaze focused on the one she recognized, chewing the inside of her cheek for a moment before she hurried to catch up with him. 

“Sylar, correct?” 

He startled at the sound of her voice, but quickly nodded. 

“You… you said you had spoken to the girl who looks like me,” she began, leaving her statement open, almost like a question. 

The boy nodded, once again. 

“What… did she… where did she say she came from?” she asked, finally settling on one of the many questions swirling inside her head. 

“From the east,” he replied, “very far from the east.” 

“Beyond the desert?” 

“She described another great water, like the one we live on,” he said, nodding ahead of them vaguely. 

“O-oh…” Anukai repied, nodding. 

“She was like you, though.” 

“Like me?” 

Sylar nodded. 

“A hunter. She also felled a Shellsnapper on her first hunt.” 

“Did you go on more than one with her?” 

“She remained with us for a few days,” Sylar shrugged. “I remember at least two.” 

Anukai nodded slowly. 

“Did… did she tell you where she was going, more specifically than north of here?” 

“The New Dawn city,” he replied, his voice laced with a hint of venom. 

“Sounds like you have experience.” 

“Any who live here have experience,” Sylar replied darkly, prompting Anukai to pause before drawing a deep breath. 

“Did they hurt someone you know?” 

The boy seemed to tense for a moment before the redhead cleared her throat. 

“They’ve hurt me, and they’ve taken someone of mine.” 

Sylar glanced toward her for a moment, seemingly in surprise, as he glanced her up and down. 

“You fight as if you have never seen injury,” he replied. 

Anukai swallowed heavily before glancing toward the other two boys to find that they had managed to pull a few yards ahead of them. 

“What I show you, you cannot tell anyone of, okay?” 

Sylar continued to stare at her in confusion, but they both came to a stop for a moment before Anukai gripped the tip of her left hunting glove. With a deep breath, she began to pull it free. As the leather revealed more of her left arm, Sylar’s eyes widened, but he didn’t retreat or speak. Finally, when Anukai had pulled it free, revealing the extent of her metal appendage, turning it over slowly before the boy, he cleared his throat. 

“You are Rebuilt.” 

“Rebuilt?” 

“Those that New Dawn considers worth saving, can be Rebuilt if they are injured,” he said. “That which they took from you… was your arm?” 

Anukai nodded, beginning to tug the glove back on, but Sylar quickly stepped forward, clearing his throat. 

“Can… I apologize, but I have never seen… someone Rebuilt myself.” 

Anukai paused before carefully removing the glove, once again, holding her hand toward Sylar. The boy leaned in toward her, carefully tracing his fingers above her appendage by an inch or two, his eyes scanning over every contour of the metal with what seemed like rapt fascination. 

“You’re not scared?” Anukai asked softly. 

Sylar shook his head. 

“Some in my village may be, as they fear New Dawn,” he said. “I do not fear them. You have given me no reason to fear you, but I do not understand how you are Rebuilt and sought by them at the same time.” 

The redhead took another deep breath, clenching her left hand into a fist as Sylar turned his attention back to it, seemingly fascinated as she uncurled her fingers slowly. 

“I was not given this by any member of New Dawn,” she said. “They learned in a city south and east of here named Reva, where New Dawn controls it, but they live apart from them.” 

The boy nodded, before finally turning his attention back to Anukai’s face, once again. 

“There are some elders who would believe that your arm would be a curse,” he said, “but I would believe it may be an advantage.” 

The redhead shifted uncomfortably before beginning to pull her glove back over her metal appendage. 

“The cost for it is high.” 

Sylar quickly fell silent, his lips drawn into a thin line as he waited for Anukai to settle her glove into place, the redhead sighing and nodding toward the direction his companions had gone. 

“We should catch up.” 

He nodded and the two of them turned to resume their trek toward the coast. As they finally reached the edge of the trees, they found the other two boys waiting for them, the group exchanging silent nods. When they exited the tree line, Anukai hung toward the back of the group, self-consciously tugging on the top of her left glove, trying to bring it as close to the edge of her tunic as she could. When they entered the wooden walkways, she remained closer to the sides away from the various torches lit to guide the way, following the three boys before they reached the main, covered platform where they had first gathered. 

As she reached it, she noted one figure in particular on the far side and the redhead’s heart sank, a heavy lump forming in her throat. Sylar and the two other boys delivered their supplies to the series of elders at the tables across from them, although Anukai hung back for a moment. Finally, Sylar approached her, holding out his hands. 

“I’ll bring what you wish to pay in for you,” he said. 

The redhead nodded in thanks, emptying the supplies she wished to submit as her contribution for the hunt before the boy moved back to the table. Finally, Anukai took a deep breath, skirting around the table of elders before approaching the figure seated on one of the tables farther back onto the platform. 

“Made it back in one piece.” 

Aloy glanced up from her hands clasped between her knees, raising her eyebrows toward the younger redhead as she approached. 

“I-I wanted to help pay them back,” she said, gesturing vaguely behind her. 

“Charitable.” 

Anukai’s jaw clenched as she came to a stop a little ways farther down the table from the older redhead, thumbing at the bowstring across her chest carefully as she studied her older image’s face. Finally, Aloy sighed, hanging her head further for a moment before lifting it to look over at Anukai. 

“After everything, you would just leave Ikrie alone in the middle of the night like that?” 

Immediately, a fire lit in the Banuk redhead’s chest, her jaw clenching as she took several forceful steps closer. 

“Maybe I trusted you if things became a problem,” she snarled. “Should I not?” 

Aloy looked back at her for a moment, as if she wanted to argue, before she ultimately sighed, her shoulders deflating. Confusion began to temper the flames in Anukai’s chest as confusion creased her face. She had been braced for a fight, but something about the older redhead’s actual reaction made her more uneasy than the thought of exposing her metal arm around the other villagers. 

“I’m… a lot of things,” Aloy replied slowly. “Angry, for one… but also scared… sad… confused…” 

The Banuk redhead shifted her stance uncomfortably before the older redhead turned back to her. 

“Contrary to what you seem to think, I do still care about you,” she said, “and so when I wake up in the middle of the night with this strange feeling… on edge and I don’t know why… and I see Ikrie alone…” 

Anukai hung her head, finally feeling her knees give out on her as she took a seat on the bench beside the table, placing her head in her hands. 

“We’re all not quite ourselves,” the older redhead continued softly, even as the Banuk girl refused to look at her. “I understand that part of you wanted to help, but… Anukai, please look at me.” 

The younger redhead finally summoned the courage to lift her head from her hands, folding them before her knees, instead, as she glanced up at Aloy to find a conflicted expression on her face, somewhere between sadness and frustration. 

“Now, more than ever before, we need to be here for each other,” the elder redhead continued softly. “I… if… if two of us didn’t go back to Meridian, in the end…” 

Anukai froze, her heart pounding in her ears as Aloy’s knee began to bounce, the older woman running her hands back over her hair before glancing in the opposite direction, seemingly unable to meet the Banuk girl’s gaze. Finally, the younger redhead cleared her throat, trying to clear the heavy lump that had settled into it. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“I’d hope so.” 

For a moment, the fire began to build, once again, until Aloy finally turned back to her, and she froze in her gaze. The expression on the older redhead’s face was one that she had not seen leverage at her except from a very particular, freckle-covered, dark-hair-framed face, but even then, something about this particular moment carried a different weight. 

“I don’t wish you dead, Anukai,” Aloy said softly, “neither of you, and… and thinking… maybe…” 

The older redhead hung her head, once again, rubbing at her eyes forcefully. 

“Would I know…?” 

Anukai shifted uncomfortably on her seat, the bow across her torso suddenly feeling as if it weighed hundreds of pounds. 

“Hold tight to Ikrie, kiddo…” 

The younger redhead froze for a moment, an unreadable expression creasing her face before she turned quickly back to the older redhead, her eyes quickly scanning over her to ensure that she was still wearing the same, predominantly tanned leather clothing, before her gaze settled on her eyes. Although they were the same ones she had seen in every reflection, and the same ones she had seen so many times since leaving Meridian, something in them told her they were actually much older, for a moment. 

“Come on, let’s head back.” 

Aloy began to rise from her seat on the table, hopping onto the main floor of the platform, but Anukai remained still for a moment longer, prompting her to glance back. 

“Is she awake?” 

When the younger redhead glanced over at her elder image to her image, she shook her head. 

“Not that I remember.” 

Anukai nodded slowly before beginning to rise from her seat, plodding after the older redhead. 

“I’ll tell her myself.” 

“You don’t have to tell her, at all—” 

“I need to,” Anukai interjected, her jaw clenching. “I won’t hold secrets from her… not right now… not anymore.” 

The older redhead beside her cast an unreadable expression toward her for a moment before they both fell silent as they made to exit the covered platform. Anukai spared a glance to her right to find Sylar standing with the other two boys, their gaze meeting for a moment before they both nodded. Soon after, she found herself lost on the various wooden walkways, although her companion seemed to walk with purpose, so she followed her lead. Eventually, the storage hut she recognized from earlier came into view and she straightened her posture, taking a deep breath. 

Before they opened the front door, however, the older redhead beside her placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping the Banuk girl and turning her to face her. 

“I want you to know,” she said softly, barely louder than a whisper, “that overall… I am grateful you are still here. Beyond all the… everything else.” 

Anukai remained silent for a moment or two before drawing her lips into a thin line and nodding. For a moment, the other woman’s hand slid onto the back of her shoulder, and she almost expected her to wrap it farther around her, but she ultimately gave a small pat before turning to the door, carefully pushing it open just wide enough for each of them to slip through. As Anukai followed her inside, she didn’t immediately detected the signs of motion from the center of the room, where she could still see the hints of the bedrolls laid out on the wooden surface. 

The younger redhead gently pushed the door closed behind them, pausing before lifting the wooden latch to lock the door, once again. As it fell into place, she winced slightly, glancing back to the center of the room to find signs of motion, but they seemed to be from Aloy as she returned to her bedroll. With a deep sigh, Anukai removed her bow, laying it with her possessions, before also undoing the quiver and sheath for her knife from her belt, laying them with her things. 

When she finally turned around to face the bedrolls, once again, she found the elder redhead sitting with her arms propped behind her, watching. The younger redhead swallowed nervously before removing her boots and carefully moving toward her own bedroll, where the shape of Ikrie still lay beside it. Anukai glanced toward the other awake occupant for a moment before carefully sinking onto the bedroll, pulling the blanket over herself, once again. 

As she moved toward the shape of warmth before her, she carefully lifted Ikrie’s arm, pulling it over herself. A moment later, the dark-haired girl’s grip curled tightly around her, pulling the redhead closer until their chests were pressed tightly enough together that she could almost immediately detect the pounding rhythm in Ikrie’s. Although the dark-haired Banuk’s eyelids didn’t open, the redhead swallowed nervously, bowing her head forward until her forehead pressed against Ikrie’s firmly. 

“I’m sorry,” Anukai whispered, barely louder than a breath. 

Ikrie remained silent, but renewed her grip around the redhead, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Anukai accepted her motion, wrapping her own, shaking arm around the dark-haired girl. At the motion, she finally detected the first hints of true awareness from Ikrie as her head lifted slightly, her shaggy, dark hair brushing at Anukai’s cheek. A moment later, the redhead felt the familiar, warm sensation against her neck. 

“I’m sorry,” Anukai whispered, her eyes closing tightly as she leaned the side of her head against the other girl’s. “I’m sorry.” 

“You’re here,” Ikrie finally whispered, her voice equally as soft. “I’m thankful.” 

“I’m sorry you have to be.” 

The dark-haired girl pressed even more kisses against her neck as she wrapped her arms tighter around the redhead, Anukai feeling her the corners of her own eyes growing hot and wet, burning with the first hints of tears. The redhead leaned into the kisses, trying to let the warm, slightly wet sensations bring the same sparks from her skin to her heart that they had the first few times in Meridian, but part of her felt like a barrier had been built in her chest, preventing her from allowing them in, as if she wasn’t allowed to feel them. 

Ikrie seemed to detect the feeling, slowing her kisses before simply nuzzling her cheek into the exposed skin at Anukai’s throat and at the opening of her tunic around her collar bone. 

“You came back,” the dark-haired girl whispered. “Keep doing that.” 

“I want to… I want to…” 

Before she could fully realize her actions, Anukai had wrapped Ikrie in an incredibly tight embrace, pulling her into her chest with both arms, as if the presence of the dark-haired girl could quell the sobs that threatened to wrack her entire body. The other girl responded in kind, as quickly as she could, her hands gripping at the fabric on the back of the redhead’s tunic with a great deal of strength. A moment later, Anukai backed off on her embrace, at least with her left arm, as she began to grow self-conscious of her actions, but Ikrie seemed to double down on hers, burying her face against the redhead’s skin as if she might disappear. 

Slowly, Anukai felt fatigue settling over her, once again, even as guilt ate at her from the inside, the feeling raging at how tired she felt, at how she felt after talking to the older redhead at the table earlier, at making the decision to leave the storage hut, in the first place. Eventually, the guilt wasn’t enough to keep her awake, and she felt herself fall off into the abyss of unconsciousness. 

Almost immediately afterward, she was confronted by the all too familiar image of Ikrie sliding away from her, hands outstretched, down the muddy slope of a mountainside. Her mind tried to tell her that she managed to catch herself on a ledge a few yards farther down, but the image before her didn’t provide her that relief, instead swallowing the dark-haired Banuk into a void of darkness that seemed to hang just feet beyond the last rocky, foot holds on the mountainside. 

“Ikrie!” 

Her voice tore from her throat, seemingly of its own accord, as she began to scramble toward the last place she had seen the huntress moments ago. As she did, however, something grabbed the back of her tunic, stopping her. When she whirled around, she found who appeared to be Aloy, complete in her Nora-inspired clothing, firmly holding her in place while also gripping a handhold behind her. 

“You’ll fall, too,” the older redhead said. 

“I have to try,” Anukai snarled. 

“What was it you said back in Reva?” 

The younger redhead’s chest filled with a fire that she had never felt before, the sensation quickly spreading throughout her body until she swore jets of it would shoot from her eyes. 

“And isn’t this just a dream?” 

The older redhead faltered for a moment, providing Anukai the moment she needed to free herself, resuming her charge down the mountainside, her feet slipping on the muddy surface until she, too, was sliding. As she reached the darkness where Ikrie had disappeared moments ago, she suddenly came to a short stop, her feet slamming into some kind of hard surface. 

Anukai winced at the pain that shot up her legs from the stop, but quickly glanced around, finding that she was no longer on a mountainside, but seemingly just in a dark void. 

“Ikrie?” she called, turning in place. 

As she did, she found several small, red lights beginning to appear around her, and she instantly stiffened, reaching for her bow, but finding none of her weapons in place. The lights had been growing larger, until finally the bodies that housed them seemed to materialize out of the darkness. Confusion creased the redhead’s face as she found that they weren’t the Corruptors she had been expecting, but people, the red glow shining from their eyes. 

At the sound of something being dragged, she whirled around, finding two of the figures marching toward her, a third held between them. Anukai’s heart began to pound as she saw the head of dark hair bowed forward, and her fists clenched tightly at her sides. 

“Let her go,” she growled. 

A moment later, the figures with the glowing eyes stopped, throwing the limp body between them forward at the redhead’s feet. She continued to eye them for a moment or two before crouching down, gently attempting to life the dark-haired figure’s head. 

“Ikrie, are you okay?” 

As her face lifted toward Anukai, the redhead froze, a feeling of panic setting into her. The veins in Ikrie’s face seemed to be highlighted in black against her skin, the dark color quickly spreading up her temples and toward her forehead. 

“Hurts… hurts… so much,” Ikrie panted. 

“What did they do to you?” the redhead whimpered before glancing up at the figures before her, the fire from moments ago returning to her chest. “What is this?” 

As she focused on the two who had dragged Ikrie to her, she realized that they didn’t seem familiar. Both were men, one blonde and one brunette, but they weren’t dressed like anyone she had met back home, or in Meridian. She tried to recall if they had been in the party of Enforcers who had tried to kill them, but she quickly realized that other than their leader, she didn’t remember any of them. 

Suddenly, her attention was drawn back to Ikrie as the other girl’s hand gripped her wrist with a vice-like intensity. As she looked down at her, the dark-haired Banuk met her gaze, the corners of her eyes also now showing the first hints of the strange darkness that outlined her veins. 

“Please… help…” 

A moment later, her image seemed to flicker, and Anukai blinked in confusion. At first, it seemed as if nothing had changed, but her mind quickly began to notice the subtle differences. Her skin tone was slightly darker, less pale, her eyes were more of a warm brown with flecks of gold than the pale, almost blue, almost silver color that she knew so well… The redhead’s eyes widened as she realized that the image was not of Ikrie, at all. 

A moment later, the scene changed around her, and she found herself in a seated position, her back pressed against something hard and cold. Her gaze lazily drifted from her own feet, her mind vaguely registering the black leggings as not ones she had ever worn, to a set of metal bars beside her. 

Her focused shifted past the bars, however, until another set on the opposite side of a metal hallway came into view. A figure appeared to be seated just past them in nearly the same position as herself, although their arms remained wrapped around their knees while their head was buried in them, hiding their face. 

“It’s a nice thought that someone could be coming.” 

Confusion washed over Anukai, again, at the sound of what seemed to be her voice, but with the hints of an accent or inflection that she didn’t recognize. 

“It’s the only one I’ve got.” 

The second voice immediately sent a jolt of electricity down the redhead’s spine as the dark-haired figure lifted their head, revealing the same face from moments ago, now framed by a shorter, shaggy, somewhat uneven hair style, rather than the neat, tight ponytail she was used to. Dark circles were clearly visible beneath Talanah’s eyes, but Anukai noted that she didn’t bear the same dark lines tracing her veins as the images from moments ago had shown. 

Before she could try to say anything else to her, however, the redhead blinked, only to find herself staring at what appeared to be a mirror image. The other redhead, however, started, eyes widening for a moment before narrowing in confusion. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” she said, the hints of the unknown accent tinging her voice. 

“Me neither,” Anukai replied softly. 

The new redhead stared at her for several long moments before clearing her throat. 

“Did I make you?” 

The Banuk redhead slowly began to shake her head. 

“I don’t think so.” 

Suddenly, a word appeared at the forefront of her mind and her eyes widened slightly. 

“Ashana…” 

The new redhead instantly seemed to perk up, leaning away from the wall just as it seemed to disappear, leaving the two of them in a space that was grey, like the metal walls she had seen moments ago, but much less defined. 

“You know my name,” she said quickly. 

Anukai nodded, her breathing quickening as she quickly scanned over the image of the other redhead. Her face was as she remembered when speaking to Ara, an uncanny reflection amidst an image that otherwise was not her exact reflection. The girl’s hair appeared to be shaved, the first hints of the copper color beginning to show as it grew out, once again. A scab from what clearly was a recent cut ran from her hairline, just above her left ear, across her temple to just beside her eye. Her clothing seemed to consist of a pair of black leggings and a black, fabric top that featured no sleeves, allowing her to clearly take in some kind of intricate design tattooed onto her left arm, running from just below her shoulder to her elbow. 

Ashana, similarly, seemed to be sizing up the Banuk redhead, her gaze notably lingering on her left arm. 

“You’re one of them…?” 

“They tried to kill me.” 

The new redhead nodded, her gaze turning back to meet Anukai’s, once again. 

“So you are coming?” 

The Banuk redhead nodded slowly. 

“Trying.” 

Ashana nodded in response, as well, before glancing to her right and laughing dryly as she waved her hand against the blurry, grey mass that had once been the metal bars. 

“She’s said someone would,” she said. “Said it was someone who looked like me. I didn’t believe her.” 

The new redhead laughed dryly, once again, as she shook her head. 

“I still don’t know if I do.” 

Anukai’s lips drew into a thin line as she also noted the greyness around them seeming to close in, a dark void replacing it quickly. 

“You could just be in my head.” 

The Banuk redhead swallowed heavily as she locked eyes with the new redhead across from her. 

“Guess we’ll have to find out.”


	4. Reminders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm back again.
> 
> If you're following along week-to-week, I apologize for the week off unexpectedly.
> 
> Long story short, this chapter wasn't anywhere near done a week ago, and although I absolutely hated how I had to delay... it felt for the best.
> 
> So, I'm sorry.
> 
> Here's chapter 4, for real, to make up for it.

With the next blink, she found herself in a much darker room, and she quickly glanced around with just her eyes. Slowly, she was able to take in wooden walls with the first hints of sunlight leaking between the boards, and she let out a heavy sigh. Something shifted before her and she turned her attention forward to find Ikrie still tightly pressed against her, one arm wrapped over her side and her face buried in the crook of the redhead’s neck. Despite the heat and humidity that had begun to seep in with the morning sun, Anukai pressed into her, once again, burying her face in the head of dark hair before her.  


The other Banuk began to stir slightly, and the redhead gently pressed a kiss against her hair. Slowly, Ikrie managed to turn her head, attempting to look up at Anukai, but part of her hair hung in front of one eye. With a grin, the redhead reached one hand toward her face, gently brushing the offending locks aside.  


“Thanks,” Ikrie managed, her voice barely louder than a whisper.  


The redhead continued to grin before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.  


“Sleep well?” she asked as she pulled back.  


Ikrie shrugged.  


“You?”  


The redhead paused for a moment before sighing softly.  


“I’ve woken up more tired.”  


A frown tugged at Ikrie’s lips as Anukai sighed.  


“There’s… I… I saw something that… I don’t think was a dream,” she said slowly.  


The dark-haired Banuk remained silent as the redhead took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and shakily. After a few moments of the silence, however, Anukai began to extract herself from Ikrie’s grasp, the other girl reluctantly releasing her. As the redhead rose to a sitting position, crossing her legs before her, she ran her hands tiredly over her face.  


“I told you about the dreams like the one with Aloy, where I felt like we were both there, remember?”  


She glanced up at Ikrie to see her nodding as the dark-haired girl propped herself up with one arm to her side.  


“I… I feel like this was another one… but I didn’t see Aloy, I saw Talanah…”  


“Did she see you?”  


Anukai chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment before taking a deep breath.  


“She spoke to me, it felt like… but I don’t think I— _was_ —me in this… dream.”  


Confusion creased Ikrie’s face as she rose to a similar position before Anukai.  


“Who were you, then?”  


The redhead drummed her fingers on one knee for a moment or two before responding.  


“I think… that other girl, like Ara and me, who they said came through here before.”  


Ikrie nodded slowly, but her expression told Anukai that she either wasn’t convinced, or at least wasn’t sure how to respond.  


“Lukas told me her name,” she said softly.  


The dark-haired Banuk’s eyebrows raised as her gaze refocused on the redhead.  


“Ashana.”  


Ikrie repeated it slowly, nodding as she did.  


“Almost sounds Carja.”  


“Almost.”  


With a sigh, Anukai hung her head, closing her eyes.  


“So… you think this dream… that Talanah was— _real_ —too?”  


“I think so…”  


“So then you think she’s still alive?” Ikrie asked in a whisper.  


Anukai took a deep breath, lifting her head to find the dark-haired girl had leaned closer to her, an expectant expression on her face.  


“I hope so.”  


Ikrie’s lips drew into a thin line as what seemed to be mild disappointment crossed her face.  


“I don’t want to say definitively if she is,” Anukai said quickly, still in a hushed tone, “and—get our hopes up and—be wrong.”  


The dark-haired Banuk flashed a small, sad smile as she nodded.  


“I understand.”  


A moment later, Ikrie had leaned forward, bracing her hands on Anukai’s knees before leaning in to place a slow, gentle kiss on her. The redhead readily accepted it, placing her own hands over Ikrie’s. When they finally pulled apart, the dark-haired girl remained leaning over Anukai, her eyes locking with the redhead’s.  


“I’m still grateful that you came back, last night,” she said softly.  


Anukai offered a sheepish grin as she ran her thumbs over the back of Ikrie’s hands.  


“I’m still sorry.”  


The dark-haired girl smirked before placing another, much quicker kiss on her.  


“We can work on that.”  


Before Anukai could retort, the sound of the front door opening prompted both girls to jump, the redhead whirling to face it. As she did, she found Aloy stepping inside the hut, her jaw tight as her eyes seemed to partly be staring through the Banuk girls, even as she looked down toward them.  


“We’re square with Lukas and the rest of them,” she announced, pushing the door closed behind her and beginning to stride quickly toward her belongings. “Get packed up. We’ll finalize any supplies and be on our way.”  


The girls both nodded silently before moving to pack their things, ensuring that all of their supplies were accounted for and secured about their persons before turning to Aloy who had begun pacing by the door. When she saw them waiting, she paused, raising her eyebrows.  


“Ready?”  


The Banuk girls nodded, prompting the older redhead to turn on her heel, quickly yanking open the door and stalking outside, leaving Anukai and Ikrie rushing to catch up. Once outside, they followed Aloy as she wound her way along the trail of wooden walkways until they reached the covered platform in the center of the village. Lukas stood talking with several other adults around a table covered in what appeared to be supplies from the hunt the night before. When he saw them approaching, he glanced back at his companions, telling them something quickly before they all nodded and the others filed off toward the other side of the platform.  


“An early start, I see,” he commented as the women approached.  


“We’ve got a ways to go, and little time,” Aloy replied, shrugging.  


Lukas simply nodded, a thoughtful expression creasing his face before he glanced down at the table beside him.  


“Yesterday you said you were in need of food and healing supplies,” he began, gesturing to the items. “We have collected a small assortment, here.”  


“What do you want in exchange?” the older redhead asked.  


“No need for physical items,” Lukas replied, shaking his head before glancing toward the younger redhead. “Anukai, here, did a great service by ensuring our newest hunters returned to their mothers last night, while also bringing bounty from the hunt.”  


Ikrie raised her eyebrows slightly as she glanced toward the Banuk redhead, whose face had begun to turn a deep scarlet.  


“I would simply ask that you take what you need.”  


Aloy glanced back at Anukai for a moment before sighing and turning back to the table, sorting through the various items before handing some of them to the Banuk girls. Anukai collected the pouches of food, while Ikrie took the healing supplies, each girl stashing them about their person as needed. The older redhead glanced at a pile of arrows before checking her own quiver, shrugging.  


“How are you two doing with ammunition?”  


Anukai frowned slightly, lifting the arrows out of her quiver and noting how few there truly were. As she sorted through them, counting, she ruefully noted the single tearblast arrow that remained, a sigh escaping her.  


“There is, perhaps, one thing that may be considered as a trade,” Lukas said, drawing her attention as she noted how his eyes had settled on the single, specialty arrow in her hands. “Sylar spoke of this arrow you carry, how it managed to rip metal plating from a Shellsnapper with a fire-less blast.”  


The redhead glanced down at the arrow before holding it out toward him. Lukas hesitated for a moment before taking it from her, studying the canister at the tip carefully.  


“It’s made like a regular arrow, but the tip uses a metal canister with an explosive device taken from several different types of machines.”  


“But it is not an explosive?”  


“Not exactly,” she shook her head. “Where we come from, machines called Longlegs carry such a device. When charged, it outputs a strong force that turns the very air around it into part of the weapon.”  


“Like a gale, condensed into a single moment,” Lukas replied, nodding.  


“You can keep that one,” Anukai said, prompting him to glance over at her. “Use it to create more.”  


The bald hunter nodded, turning the arrow over in his hands for a few moments before holding it loosely at his side.  


“Perhaps a mechanism not from New Dawn may convince some others in our village,” he said.  


“Convince them of what?” Ikrie asked.  


“That not all machines and machinations are to be feared.”  


They all nodded in response before Lukas turned his gaze back to Aloy at the table.  


“Do you have what you need?”  


She nodded.  


“Then you will be on your way?”  


“Our trip doesn’t grow shorter, but our time does,” she replied.  


Lukas nodded in response, casting one last glance around at the group of travelling women.  


“I wish you safety in your travels. The lands between here and the city that you seek are not for the unequipped, however I do not worry for your ability to fight,” he said. “This city that belongs to New Dawn, the Port they call it, is a dangerous place… particularly if they are already hunting you.”  


The travelling women all exchanged glances before Anukai cleared her throat.  


“I think we’ve experienced that, already.”  


With that, Lukas began to lead them along the walkways through the village to the opposite side, Anukai quickly becoming aware of how hot and bright the sun was now that the cloud cover of the past few days had given way, and she self-consciously tugged at the hood to her cloak, pulling it up against her neck, but not fully over her head.  


Just as they began to reach the last of the huts, the sound of footsteps hurrying down the walkway behind them prompted her to glance back, instantly tense and scanning for weapons pointed at her, but instead she found Sylar skidding to a stop before her.  


“You’re leaving,” he panted, glancing at the other two women quickly, but primarily settling his gaze on Anukai.  


“We are,” she nodded. “We need to find the person New Dawn took from us… and with any luck, Ashana, too.”  


Sylar shuffled slightly at the mention of the name, glancing toward Lukas nervously before clearing his throat and turning back to her.  


“I hope you do,” he said. “You can tell her I helped you fell a Shellsnapper, too.”  


Anukai found herself grinning as she nodded, noting how Sylar seemed unable to meet her gaze.  


“Sure thing.”  


With that, Lukas pointed them to the last of the walkways, where they could reach the beach, once again. The walk along the wet sand didn’t last long before a curve in the coastline quickly obscured the village behind the dunes leading to the tree line inland. As it did, however, Anukai found a strange, heavy feeling settling in her chest. When she glanced toward Ikrie, she found her jaw set tightly, a look in her eyes conveying the same feeling back to her.  


“So, this Faro that Lukas talked about,” the Banuk redhead said, turning back to the older redhead several steps ahead of her, “you think he’s like you and me, right?”  


Aloy sighed, glancing over her shoulder slightly before she slowed to walk side-by-side with Anukai.  


“That’s my best guess,” she said. “A man reincarnate in the same image each time, for… a long time?”  


The Banuk redhead shivered, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.  


“But if they’re always Faro, then… not exactly like us,” she offered.  


“No… but… the same person, raised in the same place, in the same way, each time…”  


The sudden thought of what may have happened if she had been born in Nora lands, rather than Banuk, crossed Anukai’s mind and she found a tight sensation gripping her chest, her vision blurring for a moment until she forced herself to blink, her hand absentmindedly rubbing at her chest. When she glanced back toward Aloy, she found the older redhead staring back at her with an expression of concern, but neither of them said anything, instead choosing to let the silence continue as they walked.  


After another twenty minutes or so of marching along the beach, all three women decided that it was far too much effort as they continuously wiped at their brows, instead choosing to move into the shade of the forest, once again. Although the humidity seemed to spike under the leafy canopy, the lack of direct sunlight brought relief to the Banuk redhead as she rubbed at the back of her neck, trying to judge if it burned to the touch.  


“Looks fine,” Ikrie chimed in, prompting her to glance over at her. “Not that red.”  


Anukai sighed, nodding in thanks.  


“Well, except for…”  


The Banuk redhead’s eyebrows raised before Ikrie reached over, tossling the braid hanging in the center of Anukai’s back, prompting her to roll her eyes and shove the dark-haired girl playfully. As they both recovered, the younger redhead glanced toward Aloy to find her looking back at the girls with a tight-lipped expression, the hints of mistiness in her eyes for a moment before she turned away, quickening her pace to move several steps ahead of them, once again.  


Anukai swallowed against the heavy lump in her throat as she turned back toward Ikrie, noting how her expression had sobered considerably, as well. The Banuk girls fell silent as they continued behind Aloy, leaving the gap of several yards intact. In the silence, however, Anukai felt Ikrie’s fingers brush against hers, and the redhead let them slide into place before gently closing her own around them. The going was easy enough that it wasn’t difficult for them to walk intertwined as such, but every time Aloy almost seemed to glance back at them, they both tensed, their grip loosening in preparation to pull apart at any moment.  


The remainder of their morning march saw little in the way of a change in scenery, although Anukai did catch what she thought to be motion in one of the marshy swamps they passed, one hand instinctually reaching toward her bow in preparation, although no Shellsnapper emerged. Eventually, as the sun rose to its midday height above them, they came to a stop for a brief break in a small clearing, Aloy taking a seat on a fallen tree as Anukai fell onto the ground before it, sighing. Ikrie quickly excused herself into the nearby trees, disappearing into the underbrush and leaving the two redheads in a moment of tense silence. Finally, the Banuk redhead took a deep breath, staring down at the grass beside her boot as she felt the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise.  


“Last night…”  


She heard Aloy shift on her seat before her, but she didn’t look up.  


“You… saw all of that, too… didn’t you?”  


Finally, the Banuk redhead lifted her gaze to find Aloy staring back at her, jaw clenched as she detected hints of water forming at the corners of her eyes.  


“Yeah… yeah, I did.”  


Silence fell over them, once again, for several long moments before Anukai cleared her throat, adjusting her position so she was sitting with her legs crossed before her.  


“We’re going to get her,” she said softly. “I… I want you to know that.”  


“Of course.”  


When the Banuk redhead glanced up at Aloy, once again, she found the older redhead wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands.  


“You’re not the only one who feels that way when… when she…”  


“I get it, Anukai,” Aloy interrupted.  


“I just—”  


“You don’t need to say any more. I get it.”  


“Dammit, Aloy, let me speak!”  


The older redhead recoiled at the intensity of Anukai’s voice, the younger redhead’s chest heaving as she stared up at her.  


“I didn’t want to leave her, either,” she continued, “and I’ve felt awful ever since. Now, we’re alive, we’re here, and we can get her back. I’m not blind. I see how you react when you look at Ikrie and me, and I want you to know that I’m fighting for Talanah just as much as if it were her.”  


The older redhead continued to stare back at her for several moments before she finally seemed to crack, her head hanging forward as she braced her elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands. Anukai shifted uncomfortably, part of her debating if she should move closer, but ultimately she stayed where she was, waiting for Aloy to speak, if she wanted. Finally, after several long moments, the sound of the older redhead’s muffled voice came from under her hands.  


“If I lose her… I have nothing.”  


Anukai immediately felt a tense sensation forming in her chest, her hands subconsciously clenching around her skirt at her knees.  


“Nothing, like me?”  


The words fell from her mouth, seemingly of their own volition, prompting the younger redhead to freeze, her eyes widening slightly as she stared up at the older redhead above her. Aloy also seemed to freeze for a moment before slowly lifting her head form her hands, one eye more visible around the side of her fingers.  


“Anukai…”  


The younger redhead quickly scrambled to her feet, shaking her head.  


“I’m sorry, I… I’ll be back.”  


As she quickly stalked around the fallen tree, she caught Aloy attempting to reach for her with one hand, but she was outside the older redhead’s grasp and she easily moved past, making for the thick underbrush at the edge of the clearing. The world seemed to stretch and blur at the edges of her vision as she walked, and she clenched her jaw, forcing whatever was in her chest that seemed to be fighting to get out back down, at least for another moment.  


As she stormed into the branches ahead of her, wildly shoving them aside, she suddenly found herself face-to-face with another person and stopped short, nearly knocking them over. The redhead quickly braced herself, images of some patrol sneaking through the forest to close in around them while she had been distracted passing through her mind for a moment before the image of Ikrie finally seemed to register, her hands raised defensively as she peeked between them. The Banuk redhead sighed, but stepped forward, pulling the dark-haired Banuk with her by one arm.  


When they had gone at least several yards from the edge of the clearing, she stopped, turning to face her while still keeping a grip on her upper arm.  


“What did you hear?” she asked softly.  


“The end…” Ikrie replied, gently placing her hand on Anukai’s upper arm, mimicking her grip. “Anukai…”  


“You heard Aloy?”  


“No, but… I could guess based on what you said,” she replied.  


Anukai sighed heavily, hanging her head for a moment as the dark-haired Banuk stepped forward, sliding her arms around the redhead as she released her grip on Ikrie’s arm.  


“She’s hurting,” the dark-haired Banuk whispered, “and I know whatever she said doesn’t feel excused, but…”  


“I know,” the redhead managed, squeezing Ikrie tightly in her embrace. “I know…”  


Finally, within the grip of the dark-haired Banuk, the feeling in her chest finally began to break apart, the sensation notably fading in her shoulders as her grip grew less desperate and more relaxed. One of Ikrie’s hands slid over her back slowly, massaging the remaining tenseness away as the redhead turned to place a gently kiss on the side of her neck. A few moments later, they pulled apart, Ikrie holding Anukai by her upper arms before gently placing a kiss of her own against her.  


“You always have me, okay?” she whispered as she pulled away.  


Anukai nodded, placing another kiss against her in return. When they pulled apart, again, they both remained silent, the redhead leaning her forehead against the dark-haired girl’s as she closed her eyes. As the silence continued, the Banuk redhead began to notice the tension she had felt in herself moments ago rising in the dark-haired girl before her, and she swallowed heavily.  


“Does… Aloy look at us and… see Talanah in me?” Ikrie whispered, her tone notably beginning to shake slightly.  


Images of the dark-haired Banuk with her face covered in a web of black-tinged veins passed before Anukai’s eyes and she found her grip instinctually tightening around her arms.  


“I… maybe.”  


Ikrie’s grip began to tighten, once again, but they both remained still, Anukai’s eyes slowly cracking open just enough to see the dark-haired girl’s were closed, as well, although hers sported wet streaks running from them.  


“Your nightmares, since Reva,” Ikrie continued. “You’ve been wondering if it were me, instead of— _her_.”  


The redhead sighed heavily, squeezing her eyes closed, once again, as her arms slowly slid around the dark-haired Banuk, Ikrie returning the gesture, as well. Finally, after a minute or two of stillness and silence, they began to pull apart, but before they fully could, Anukai pressed a passionate kiss against the dark-haired girl, who returned it with vigor. When they finally pulled apart, the redhead let out a heavy sigh, reaching up to run one hand through Ikrie’s shaggy, dark locks.  


“I’m not going anywhere,” she breathed, barely as loud as a whisper.  


Anukai swallowed heavily, nodding, before letting her hands fall free, glancing back toward the bushes they had both exited through earlier.  


“Suppose we should go back,” she muttered. “She might actually think something happened.”  


Ikrie nodded, turning to lead the redhead back to the clearing, but before they stepped through the branches, they both paused, releasing their hands between them before fully returning. As they did, they found Aloy rising from a seat she had taken on the ground before the fallen tree, her body language tense for a moment until she recognized the Banuk girls and sighed, pushing herself to a standing position with less intensity.  


As Anukai and Ikrie reached the log, they paused, a long moment of awkward silence falling over them before the older redhead cleared her throat.  


“Should eat something,” she said, holding out the bag of dried tree nuts they had received at the village.  


The Banuk girls took the offered bag, taking some for themselves before tying it shut and handing it back. The silence continued as they also took drinks from one of their canteens. When they had all had their fills, and the supplies were stashed with the appropriate people, they all paused for a moment, seemingly glancing around at each other before Anukai broke the silence.  


“Shall we continue on?”  


The group nodded, collectively, before Aloy tapped her Focus, glancing around the clearing until gesturing in the direction behind her.  


“Keep heading north.”  


“Just keep the water to our left, right?” Ikrie chimed in.  


Aloy glanced back at her, tapping her focus as she nodded, the corners of her lips pulling upward ever so slightly.  


“Yeah, keep it to our left.”  


The remainder of the afternoon passed in a sweat-drenched, but uneventful trek through the greenery just inland from the coastline, the women all staying close enough that they could either see or hear the waves nearby. At one particular inlet, in the mid-afternoon, they came across an ancient, rusted hulk of a machine that had become beached long ago. Although a great deal of it seemed to have fallen apart or be missing entirely, a significant chunk remained on land. Anukai, in particular, seemed taken by its appearance, stopping at the top of the dunes just past the tree line to stare at its large, orange-tinged carcass.  


“Run aground,” Aloy commented, noting the Banuk redhead’s interest and glancing toward the wreck, as well.  


“It intentionally stranded itself?”  


“Well, the people aboard might have stranded it.”  


The Banuk redhead blinked in surprise, glancing toward her.  


“People controlled it?”  


A hint of a smirk tugged at the older redhead’s lips as she nodded.  


“It was a boat, long ago.”  


“ _That_ was a boat?!” Anukai shot back incredulously, pointing to the metal frame that appeared to easily tower twenty yards or so above her head.  


“It was the Metal World, after all,” Aloy chided.  


The younger redhead turned back to the wrecked machine, continuing to take it in for several long moments, even as Aloy had begun to walk away. Just then, however, she blinked, only to find herself standing on some kind of long, flat surface, the floor seemingly made of wood while a metal railing ran along to her right. The redhead jumped in surprise, glancing around, only to find herself back on the dune, once again, staring over at Ikrie, who wore a look of concern.  


“Everything okay?”  


Anukai sighed heavily, rubbing at her eyes tiredly as she nodded. When she reopened them, however, she found herself staring at a different person entirely, her long, brown hair whipping around her head while her eyes were obscured by a dark, almost reflective pair of glasses.  


“ _Hello_ ,” she said, drawing out the final syllable, “that drink hitting you already?”  


Anukai glanced down at her hand to find a glass full of some kind of red liquid in her right hand, the vessel already half-empty. What particularly drew her attention, however, was her left arm, which showed no sign of metal. A blink later, however, and it returned to the silvery hue she had come to expect, the sound of waves crashing against the wreckage of an ancient boat filling her ears.  


“Anukai, say something.”  


She blinked rapidly, each time the world around her changing between the strange one with the brunette and her fully human left arm, and her normal one with Ikrie and her metal arm. A feeling of nausea quickly rose in her throat and she staggered backward before pitching forward, bracing her hands on her knees as she vomited into the tall grass nearby. A hand quickly appeared on her back while another took hold of her upper arm.  


“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Ikrie soothed, continuing her motions as Anukai dry heaved several times, only managing to vomit once more.  


Finally, when her stomach had stopped twisting itself into knots, she sighed, wiping the back of her hand across her lips.  


“Still feeling sick?”  


She shook her head.  


“No, I… I think it passed.”  


“What was it?” Ikrie asked, concern heavily lacing her tone.  


“Just… suddenly felt dizzy and…” the redhead trailed off, gesturing to the wet grass before her.  


The dark-haired Banuk frowned, but didn’t pressure her further, instead glancing past her. Anukai turned toward the sound of approaching footsteps to find Aloy hesitantly coming to a stop a yard or so away.  


“You need anything?”  


The Banuk redhead shook her head, reaching for one of the canteens she had stored on her belt and taking a swig from it, swishing the water around her mouth before spitting it out into the grass, as well. When she had finally returned the canteen to her belt, she took a deep breath, placing a hand over her stomach.  


“Everything’s okay, now,” she said. “Let’s keep moving.”  


The older redhead nodded, beginning to turn in the direction she had been heading moments ago, only to pause, an unreadable expression creasing her face before she turned back to Anukai.  


“I’m sorry.”  


Confusion creased the Banuk redhead’s face, but Aloy had already turned and begun walking. She glanced toward Ikrie beside her, but the dark-haired girl seemed equally as confused. A moment later, the image of the unknown brunette and the wood floor passed before her eyes and she blinked, glancing after the older redhead, but she had already moved several yards away.  


The Banuk girls turned and began to follow after Aloy, trudging through the tall grass atop the dune overlooking the inlet with the ancient wreck until they began to enter the trees, once again. Almost immediately, however, they noted that the older redhead had come to a stop and they slowed their pace, eventually coming to a stop just behind her, as well.  


“See something?” Anukai whispered.  


Aloy nodded, pointing to something straight ahead. The Banuk redhead followed her gesture, but couldn’t figure out what she had seen other than the usual bank of trees and underbrush.  


“Straight ahead. Those bushes.”  


Anukai’s eyes locked onto the ones in question, but confusion still gripped her.  


“What about them?”  


“See what’s behind them?”  


The Banuk focused just past them, but after several long moments she still couldn’t discern what had caused such a reaction from Aloy. Just as she was about to ask, again, something made her pause, her mouth hanging open for a moment before closing slowly. What she had thought was simple a darkened part of the forest past the bushes was quickly seeming more like a large, dark shape between the two trees.  


The younger redhead’s heart began to pound as she reached for her bow, eyes desperately trying to discern if the shape was made of metal. A moment later, she paused, confusion gripping her, once again.  


“It’s… stone?”  


“A ruin,” Aloy confirmed.  


Anukai swallowed heavily, her hand closing around her bow as she noted the older redhead drawing hers.  


“Seems quiet,” the Banuk commented.  


“From here,” Aloy nodded. “Don’t want to be careless, though.”  


Anukai took a deep breath, drawing one of the arrows from her quiver and nocking it to her bowstring. With a glance toward Ikrie beside her, she found the dark-haired Banuk drawing her sling before the redhead shook her head, gesturing to the bow over her shoulders.  


“Quieter,” she whispered.  


Ikrie frowned slightly, but nodded, returning her sling to its holster before removing the redhead’s old bow, drawing an arrow from her more limited quiver. With that, they fell in behind Aloy as she carefully moved forward between the trees, taking a wide path to the right. Anukai noted that the stone structure she had spotted seemed to end at the gap in the trees, but as they changed positions, she noted how it seemed to stretch for at least several yards back into the forest.  


The older redhead carefully raised her hand, tapping at her Focus and prompting the younger redhead to do the same. As the interface came to life around her, she scanned over the area around the ancient structure, but didn’t see any signs of highlighted human shapes, although she did detect several strange, purple shapes scattered about the ground seemingly inside the building, itself.  


“Are those… machines?” she whispered.  


Aloy shook her head, frowning.  


“Seems to be some kind of debris… something left behind, perhaps.”  


“Ancient?”  


“More recent.”  


The Banuk swallowed heavily, adjusting her grip on her bow before Aloy began to lead the way closer to the structure, approaching the right side of it. As they did, Anukai continued to scan the area with her Focus, watching for any sudden signals or signs that they weren’t alone. Finally, when they reached the outer wall of the ruin, the three women quickly slid against it, holding in place for several long moments before Aloy nodded and they began to slink along the stone structure.  


After several yards, they reached an opening in the wall, prompting the older redhead to pause, bracing for a moment before leaning her head cautiously around the edge of the opening. She remained still for a second or two before glancing back at the Banuk girls and nodding toward the opening. Anukai adjusted her grip on her bow before following Aloy toward the hole in the wall, raising her weapon cautiously and half-drawing the string.  


As she rounded the opening, herself, she found the inside of the building much darker than the forest outside, although the sunlight that managed to filter through the canopy overhead spilled into the space for a few feet before giving way to the heavy shadows inside. Aloy was already almost fully across the room, approaching an open doorway set into the wall to the left.  


The room Anukai had entered, first, was littered with piles of rubble, dirt, and what appeared to be other kinds of ancient debris that she couldn’t fully discern, but her eyes quickly focused on the doorway straight ahead of her. Just through it, she could make out an abundance of plant life growing inside what appeared to be some kind of courtyard, the muted sunlight from outside lighting it in a faint, almost grey glow.  


The Banuk redhead moved toward the second doorway, casting a momentary glance toward Aloy to find her pointing her bow through the other doorway, scanning inside the darkened room. When she didn’t react or loose her arrow, Anukai turned back to the doorway ahead of her, slowing to a slower walk as she passed through it.  


Almost immediately, she realized that it was not necessarily a courtyard, or at least not an intended one, as she glanced toward the sky to find that a large portion of the ceiling had fallen in, although the shape of the room told her it was rather large, overall. As her gaze lowered to the ground before her, once again, she paused. The large patch of bushes ahead of her seemed to be covering something, and her curiosity propelled her feet toward it.  


When she reached the plants, she cautiously used the tip of her arrow to push them aside, only to find what appeared to be a large hunk of metal behind them. She quickly recoiled, drawing her bowstring back and taking aim at the shape before her. The sound of another pair of feet also quickly scuffling into position behind her echoed about the space, but when she didn’t feel an arrow pierce her back, she assumed it was Ikrie, rather than an assailant.  


After several long moments, the shape amidst the plants hadn’t moved, so she slowly approached once again. Her Focus didn’t scan it like any of the machines she had seen thus far, and something told her that if it were truly alive, it would have attacked her, already, but still she exercised caution as she approached. When she had closed within a yard of it, once again, she glanced along its shape, realizing that it appeared to stretch for at least several yards to her right, as well.  


Tilting her head to the side slightly, she began to move along it, keeping her bow drawn and pointed at the metal shape, just in case. Eventually, when she reached the far end of the metallic bulk, she paused, noting how the front of it seemed to come to a jagged point. The shape was familiar, however, but she couldn’t immediately place why.  


A moment later, Ikrie joined her, also staring along the strange shape.  


“It looks like that one outside,” she whispered.  


“Which one?”  


“On the beach… just… smaller.”  


Anukai stared at the shape, once again, before her eyes widened.  


She was right.  


“So… this is also an ancient boat?” she breathed, glancing over at Ikrie.  


“We are still close to the water…”  


With that, Anukai carefully moved closer, beginning to round the far side of the shape to find that this other side was much less covered in plant life, allowing her to more easily make out the sleek design, with a lower hull that seemed to taper to a narrow bottom, while the top sported a flat, open space, broken up by what looked almost like a small bunker placed atop it. The ancient vessel appeared slightly too tall for her to jump and reach the lip at the top of its hull, but as she continued along its side, she came across what appeared to be a ladder set into the side of it.  


Anukai quickened her step, returning her arrow to the quiver and slinging the bow over her shoulder, once again.  


“What are you doing?”  


The redhead glanced back at Ikrie, grinning.  


“I want to see what’s on top.”  


The dark-haired girl frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything else as the redhead approached the ladder, rubbing her hands together for a moment before tensing her knees. A moment later, she leapt into the air, reaching for the bottom rung, but her fingers fell just short. When she landed, she let out an irritated huff, backing away for a few steps before bracing herself to try again.  


This time, with a few running steps to start, she bent her knees more and attempted to propel herself even higher, even if with simply sheer force of will. The fingers of her left hand closed around the bottom rung, although her right initially slipped off, leaving her dangling with a somewhat uncomfortably sensation in her left shoulder for a moment before she quickly swung her other arm back up, taking hold of the rung and beginning to pull herself upward.  


With each one she ascended, however, she heard the faintest hints of creaking and groaning from the metal structure before her. Anukai quickened her pace, using her left arm, primarily, to pull herself up as quickly as she could manage. Just as she was about at the lip onto the top of the vessel, the final rung suddenly gave way under her left hand and she let out a shout of surprise, her right hand closing tightly around the rung it held to as she nearly slipped off her foothold, as well.  


The sound of the fallen rung clattering off the floor beneath her echoed about the space, and she remained still for a moment before quickly turning back to the ladder and propelling herself upward with her feet so that she was able to grab the top lip of the vessel with her left hand, gripping the metal tightly as she ascended the last few feet. When she had finally pulled herself over the lip, she rolled into a crouched position, glancing around the open top for a few moments before she confirmed that nothing had moved.  


With a sigh, she rose to a standing position, glancing around the flat, open space to find it rather empty. A single pole rose from the center of it, just past the bunker-like structure, although the top half seemed to have broken, at some point, and fallen onto the forward portion, near the front tip of the structure.  


The sound of a loud “psst” from below prompted Anukai to glance over the edge of the vessel to find Ikrie staring up at her.  


“See anything interesting?” she asked just loud enough to be heard, but without actually shouting.  


Anukai shrugged.  


“Not quite. I’ll be right back, though.”  


With that, the redhead turned from the edge of the metal vessel toward the bunker-like section and approached it. A short set of stairs led to a set of doors, but when Anukai attempted to pull on one of them, it didn’t budge. With a frown, she gripped it more tightly with her left hand, bracing one foot on the opposite door, and pulled with renewed vigor.  


Her jaw clenched as she strained against the stubborn portal, the uncomfortably sensation settling into her left shoulder for a moment before she relaxed, once again. Taking several deep breaths, she adjusted her grip, squeezing her gloved, metal fingers tightly around the handle of the door and twisting it downward, a heavy clunk echoing from inside whatever space lay beyond.  


“One… two… three—”  


With a sudden, sharp force, Anukai pulled up on the door, only for the sudden of shrieking, groaning metal to split the air. The portal finally seemed to give way, lifting under her hand, prompting her to shove it toward the wall, hoping to swing it fully out of the way. As soon as she let go, however, the door shifted and seemed to slide partially into the opening, as if it had come loose from its hinges.  


The redhead paused, staring at the loose portal before turning her gaze to her left hand, slowly flexing and curling her fingers into a fist.  


A shiver ran down her spine, but she quickly let her arm fall by her side, turning her attention to the now-open doorway, instead. As she approached it, she noted that the space beyond was incredibly dark, so she tapped her Focus, following the now-familiar steps to activate the Low Light mode before crouching to look through the doorway, once again.  


The space beyond was outlined by the overlay of white lights that had guided her along narrow mountain passes in the middle of the night and saved her life in the fight to escape Reva, but she didn’t quite understand what the various shapes inside the vessel were supposed to be, anyway. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she took a deep breath and began to climb through the opening, heading deeper into the near pitch-black space inside the vessel.  


The air just inside the doorway immediately seemed to change, a heavy, musty feeling overtaking her and prompting her to cough for a moment before lifting the front of her cloak to cover her mouth and nose. While it didn’t help the scent and the taste of the air, it did at least prevent her from coughing, again.  


She was able to make out the general shape of the space, as it followed the shape of the vessel’s hull, but she also quickly began to make out what appeared to be seats and a table around her, as well. Anukai pressed onward, approaching the section that appeared to be some form of bench to her right, before pausing as she noted a strange symbol made of light seemingly projected into the air.  


Her gaze settled on it, only for a green circle to begin forming around it. When the line of light had reached its starting point, once again, it spun quickly, bringing with it the sound of a synthetic chime in her ear.  


“So, guess this is it,” a man’s voice said, the tone slightly distorted and choppy. “Thought maybe we’d be able to just… sail away from here and… find some island in the middle of nowhere, live out the end like… fucking Swiss Family Robinson, I guess.”  


Anukai’s face contorted in confusion as she listened, her gaze still locked on the symbol made of light.  


“But, of course, the motor shit out,” the voice continued. “Tried to test start it, and fucking piston tore through the entire block. Not exactly a lot of places to get parts right now… and especially not an entire goddamn engine.”  


Anukai shifted, glancing around the other areas inside the vessel as the man’s voice continued.  


“Could try to really sail her, but… I don’t trust the waters off the coast here. Too rough, too strong, and lord knows we won’t have the time to just… wait for the perfect wind, the perfect day.”  


A long pause followed before the sound of what appeared to be the man sighing sounded in her ear.  


“So yeah, guess this is it. Have to abandon the old girl, after all these years of fixing her up. They say the Swarm’s getting closer, moving across the ocean, and they’re asking everyone to go inland,” he continued. “I’ve never been a landlocked kind of guy, but… it is what it is… I’ll always miss the sound of the waves, though.”  


With that, the synthetic chime sounded in Anukai’s ear, and she let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t the first of these speaking journals she had found on their journey west, and most of them had been similar.  


Last thoughts, last wishes, last regrets…  


The few that she had found that weren’t, however, were the ones she had asked Aloy how to save.  


A recording of two young lovers describing what they saw in the clouds one day.  


A woman singing over some kind of plucked string instrument.  


A father and his young child telling the mother that they couldn’t wait to see her again.  


All of them not just reinforcements of the ruins and signs of life that had once been.  


They were moments frozen in time.  


They could have been a thousand years ago, or just yesterday.  


With a sigh, Anukai finished her inspection of the inside of the vessel, finding nothing else that she could easily discern or scan, so she turned back to the open doorway and made her way outside, once again. As soon as she was free of the dark, musty interior, she removed her cloak from over her face, the air in the ruin outside feeling incredibly crisp and refreshing as she inhaled deeply.  


The redhead moved over to where she had climbed aboard the vessel, glancing over the edge to find Ikrie had wandered a little ways away, her bow held loosely at her side as she scanned over what appeared to be some kind of ancient metal cabinets. With a smirk, Anukai carefully began to lower herself over the edge, making her way onto the ladder, once again. As she dropped from the last rung, she landed in a crouch, the impact of her boots on the stone floor echoing softly as she did. When she glanced back toward the dark-haired Banuk, however, she noted that she hadn’t reacted to the sound, seemingly, and she began to creep toward her, remaining in a crouched position.  


When she closed within the last yard or so, she suddenly reached forward, tapping Ikrie’s side before skittering to her right. The dark-haired Banuk jumped, whirling around as she clumsily attempted to lift her bow, but the arrow fell from her fingers and clattered onto the floor. Anukai began to laugh as Ikrie whirled toward her, eyes wide before they quickly narrowed.  


“Someone wasn’t paying attention,” the redhead said, rising to a full standing position.  


“Is this really the place to be doing that?” Ikrie shot back.  


“Consider it training,” Anukai replied, smirking as the dark-haired Banuk swiped the fallen arrow from the ground before her. “If I had been a threat, though…”  


“You know bows aren’t my thing.”  


The redhead laughed, although almost immediately, Ikrie’s face fell and she stepped forward, placing a hand over her mouth. Anukai froze, her eyebrows raising as she stared down at the other girl before her. The dark-haired Banuk was staring past her, however, pale eyes locked onto something over the redhead’s shoulder.  


Before Anukai could attempt to remove her hand to ask what was wrong, the sound of something dragging across the stone floor behind her prompted her to grow tense. Her eyes slowly tracked to the left, her head turning to follow them, as well. At first, all she could see was an empty doorway into another overgrown space within the ruin, but as she watched it for a few moments, she caught the faintest hint of a plant in the background seeming to shimmer and distort somewhat.  


Anukai’s eyes widened as her heart rate accelerated.  


The faintest hint of a yellow glow met her gaze from the midst of the shimmer.  


A moment later, the doorway burst inward in a shower of dust and stone.


	5. Verses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday y'all.
> 
> This one is gonna have some tough parts.
> 
> Consider this your CW/Viewer Discretion warning if some graphic descriptions of blood and violence aren't your thing.
> 
> Onwards, we go.

Immediately, Anukai shoved Ikrie forward, throwing both of them toward the floor. As they landed, the sound of the cloaked machine landing on the floor where they had been standing a second ago echoed about the large, empty space. The redhead quickly rolled onto her back, focusing on the vague outline of what seemed to be a Stalker. She could make out the familiar outline of the body and tail, but confusion creased her face as she seemed to note that something seemed to be protruding from its rear flanks.  


A moment later, the sound of something almost like a tearblast arrow building sounded from the machine, and Anukai quickly shoved Ikrie away from her, rolling in the opposite direction. Something slammed into the ground where they had been a second ago, sending a shower of dust and small chunks of stone over the redhead before she came to a stop against a pile of debris, scrambling to her feet a moment later. As soon as she was standing, she reached for her bow, ripping it from over shoulders and drawing an arrow from her quiver in one, fluid motion.  


As she aimed toward where the machine had been, however, she found no sign of it, not even the vague distortion and shimmer that gave away its presence. Anukai began to scan over the room with the tip of her arrow, quickly searching for any signs of motion that would give away its presence. When she didn’t immediately see it, she spared a glance toward Ikrie to find the dark-haired girl in a kneeling position beside the ancient vessel, her chest heaving as she also held her bow at the ready, but aimed in a different direction than Anukai’s.  


“Where is it?” the redhead mouthed.  


The dark-haired Banuk shook her head, glancing around the large space, once again.  


Just then, Ikrie’s left leg seemed to shoot out from under her and she slammed into the hard ground with a cry of surprise. Anukai whirled her bow toward her just as the dark-haired Banuk began to be pulled backward, her bow and the arrow in her hands quickly falling from her grasp as she attempted to gain purchase on something.  


The redhead let out a sound like a war cry, taking aim just past the other girl’s boot and loosing her arrow. The metal arrowhead lodged in what appeared to be thin air, prompting the cloaking of the Stalker’s tail to flicker and falter for a moment, but it didn’t seem to stop it as it continued to pull Ikrie toward the gap under the vessel behind her.  


Anukai quickly nocked another arrow, but there wasn’t enough time before the dark-haired Banuk’s boot had reached the narrow opening, the vessel’s hull obscuring the attacking appendage from view. Just before she could fully be pulled under it, however, Ikrie managed to raise her other foot, using it to slow herself enough that she could roll onto her back, allowing her hands to grab hold of the bottom of the metal vessel and hold herself in place.  


The redhead quickly charged forward, racing toward the other Banuk before dropping into a slide across the stone floor, aiming her drawn bow underneath the vessel and loosing another arrow toward the first that she could just see in the limited view underneath the metal hull. As the second arrow landed, the sound of a mechanical bleating echoed about the room and Ikrie quickly shoved down with all of her strength, propelling herself out from under the ancient vessel and across the stone floor a few feet before she frantically kicked and scrambled away from the opening.  


Anukai grabbed her under her armpit with her left hand, quickly pulling her back farther. When they had put a yard or two between themselves and the opening, she released the dark-haired Banuk, allowing her to scramble to a crouched position, drawing her sling a second later.  


“Okay?” the redhead panted, drawing another arrow for her bow and scanning the space before them.  


“Alive,” Ikrie replied.  


Anukai nodded, keeping her gaze on a sweep rather than turning to the girl beside her. After several seconds of silence, the sound of a heavy, metallic creaking and groaning came from before them and the redhead lifted her gaze to the top of the vessel to find the flickering, cloaked image of the Stalker now standing atop it, red, glowing eyes staring down at them.  


Now that its image was less obscured, with the cloaking system failing, she was able to make out that more was different about it than just what she had seen on its haunches earlier. Each of its legs seemed equipped with sharp blades that protruded from the lower sections, almost like some kind of fins, although Anukai noted that they appeared angled backward. The attachments at its haunches seemed to swivel and move, unlike the typical mine launchers she had seen in the Cut. Near the strange, new weapons, she also noted what looked to be canisters that typically contained blaze or chillwater, but the liquid in them appeared to be black.  


Anukai’s eyes widened as her gaze quickly fell to Ikrie, particularly her left leg.  


“Did it cut you?”  


“What?”  


“Your leg,” she demanded, reaching toward the dark-haired girl’s ankle and feeling for any signs of cuts in her leggings.  


“No, just wrapped around it,” Ikrie replied, glancing toward her for a moment, as well.  


Anukai sighed heavily, turning her gaze back to the machine as she drew her bow, once again.  


“Don’t let it touch you.”  


Suddenly, the devices on its haunches seemed to swivel toward them and the same, tearblast-like sound began to build as she noted the light forming at the tips of them, as well. Both girls instinctually dove away from each other, vacating their position moments before the blast slammed into the ground where they had once stood. Anukai quickly rolled into a crouched position, taking aim at one of the devices and loosing her arrow, but while the machine recoiled from the impact, she noted that the device remained intact and seemed to swivel toward her, pointing away from the machine’s side.  


Anukai scrambled for an arrow, but the sound of the blast building prompted her to curse and dive away, once again. As the sound of the weapon firing echoed about the room, another sound quickly followed, much like a loud popping that was followed by a hissing and the machine letting out a synthetic cry of pain. When the redhead had returned to a crouched position, she whirled toward it, once again, to find the modified Stalker staggering in place atop the ancient vessel, its entire left side rapidly freezing solid under a coating of chillwater.  


The redhead took her moment, quickly aiming at the hip-mounted weapon on the effected side and loosing her ammunition. Weakened by the chillwater, the Stalker’s weapon tore clean of its body with a single impact to the joint where it attached, sending the device flying clear with a shower of sparks.  


The Stalker let out a loud cry before de-cloaking completely, revealing its jet-black body in the entirety, the metal plating seemingly absorbing the sunlight shining through the ruined ceiling above, making it seem even more unnatural amidst the environment around it. The glowing red eyes, however, had only seemed to grow brighter.  


The machine suddenly leapt from its perch atop the vessel, diving straight for Anukai as she scrambled to put distance between herself and it. With a heavy thud, the machine’s front claws dug into the ground only a foot or so from her heels, but the redhead still turned to loose an arrow at it. As she did, however, she also pushed backward with one foot, propelling herself away from the Stalker even as she fell toward the ground. The world seemed to slow to a crawl for a moment as she carefully aimed the tip of her arrowhead for the center of the machine’s head, right between its glowing eyes.  


Her fingers released the bowstring, sending the arrow toward her target, but she also noted the first signs of motion from behind it as the tail raised in preparation. Just as the redhead’s back hit the floor, the Stalker’s tail swung over her, only a foot or so from her face. Anukai quickly attempted to grab another arrow from her quiver, but she didn’t have time before she quickly had to roll to her right, the pointed tip of the deadly tail suddenly appearing over her.  


As she threw herself to her side, the sound of the tip slamming into the ground came inches from behind her back, and she felt an immediate chill spread throughout her body. When she came to a stop on her back, once again, she went for an arrow, only to find the rest of the Stalker now suddenly bearing down on her.  


She only had a moment to reach before it landed over her, its face only an inch from hers, and she threw up her left arm. The machine’s head lunged forward, its jaw opening to reveal a set of impossible sharp, metal teeth, but Anukai’s hand suddenly gripped part of it right near one of the glowing eyes, finding a grip on a section of metal plating that protruded forward slightly. In a split-second, she was able to pull its head to one side, seemingly throwing off its target and sending the snapping jaws on a trajectory to only find a mouthful of stone and dirt.  


In the machine’s confusion, the redhead quickly reached forward, once again, her metal fingers sliding beneath part of the machine’s left eye unit and gripping it tightly enough that sparks flew from the casing. A moment later, she yanked her arm backward, ripping the entire unit free from the head of the machine. The Stalker backed away, letting out a synthetic howl of pain as it waved its head about in agony.  


Anukai used the moment to her advantage, tossing aside the machine part and scrambling backward until she had put another yard or so between herself and the machine, allowing her to scramble to her feet. She didn’t bother to watch the results of her defense, but instead whirled to sprint away from the Stalker as quickly as she could, gripping her bow tightly in her right hand. As she approached the edge of the room, she found what appeared to be a narrow gap in part of the wall, having broken or caved in at some point in the past, and she set her sights on it.  


The sounds of the machine giving chase echoed after her a moment later, but she continued on her path. A moment later, she reached the gap and she turned sideways, sliding into it. She made it halfway through the opening before something brought her to a stop, seemingly tugging at the front of her tunic. Anukai grit her teeth and forced herself onward, bringing a sound of ripping fabric with it as she stumbled through the gap and into the darkened space beyond.  


As soon as she did, the sound of the machine slamming into the wall shook the entire ruin around her, prompting her to whirl back toward the opening. The Stalker’s face was visible through the gap, its head turning to one side so its remaining eye unit could focus on her. Anukai’s jaw clenched as she began to charge back toward it, only to sidestep a moment later as the tip of its tail suddenly stabbed through the opening above it, coming dangerously close to making contact with her.  


With another war cry, Anukai suddenly grabbed the portion of the tail just behind the tip with her left hand, her fingers tightening around the appendage as she saw the metal begin to cave and deform under her grip. A moment later, she twisted it sharply to one side, noting how sparks burst from the appendage, and she swore she could see some of the softly glowing, synthetic muscle beneath the outer armor plating. As she released the Stalker’s tail, it attempted to pull it back through the gap, but she noted that the tip seemed to be hanging almost limply from the end of it.  


The Stalker attempted to pull its tail back several times before the limp tip finally seemed to give way, caught on one of the sides of the narrow gap, and it tore free of the rest of the appendage, falling to the ground with a heavy thud in a shower of sparks. Anukai quickly kicked it aside, turning the sharp tip away from her, before returning to the gap to find the machine still on the other side of it.  


Clenching her jaw, she drew an arrow to her bow, once again, and aimed through the narrow opening.  


“Your song ends here.”  


With that, she loosed the arrow, the tip slamming into the damaged portion of the machine’s head where its left eye unit had once been. A shower of sparks emitted from it as the Stalker let out a bleating cry and staggered away from the opening, its entire body seeming to convulse. Anukai remained where she was, panting, as she watched the machine stagger for several steps, before an explosion suddenly ripped through its side, prompting the redhead to stagger backward, as well, raising one hand to cover her face from the blast of heat.  


As she slowly lowered her hand, she heard a loud thud, followed by the sounds of the internal mechanics of the Stalker slowing to a stop. Several long seconds of silence passed before she finally let out a heavy sigh, the tension leaving her shoulders with it. Anukai turned her gaze from the opening, glancing down toward the severed tip of the Stalker’s tail on the ground beside her.  


Her left hand slowly raised before her, her fingers curling into a fist for a moment before a shiver ran through her body.  


“Anukai?!”  


The voice echoed through the gap from the room she had escaped moments ago, and she took a deep breath, moving back to the opening.  


“I’m okay!” she called through it.  


The redhead glanced through the opening to see that the Stalker still seemed to partially block the other side, and she frowned.  


“I’ll be back in a second. I have to find another way around.”  


With that, she turned from the opening to scan the space where she had found herself. It was much darker than the one she had just left, but various holes in the walls let in light at somewhat regular intervals throughout. In the beams of light, she was able to make out what seemed to just be various debris from the decaying structure, but she couldn’t make out a clear way back to the, large open room.  


With a frown, she began to head to the left of the gap, following the vague path she knew toward the front of the ruin, where they had entered. As she made her way through the darkened spaces between the beams of sunlight, she couldn’t help as her eyes darted about the space before her. The thought that the Stalker could have easily not been alone prompted the hair on the back of her neck to raise and she carefully nocked an arrow to her bow, once again.  


Just as she did, her foot struck something and she jumped, whirling toward the space where she had just stepped and drawing her bow. Unfortunately, she was currently in one of the dark stretches of the room and she was barely even able to make out the impression of the floor before her. After a moment or two, when no other sounds echoed about her, she loosened the draw on her bow, raising one hand to tap her Focus quickly. As the low light mode engaged, once again, the interior of the ruin became outlined in white light. Along with it, however, the light revealed multiple piles of some assortment lying about the floor, including next to her boot.  


As Anukai crouched down beside it, however, she was quickly able to discern the shape of a skull amidst the various others and she rose to her feet, her heart pounding in her ears.  


“Lots… lots of piles… lots of…”  


Anukai whirled in place, scanning the room and the unnerving amount of piles scattered about her and she swallowed heavily.  


“No shelter.”  


Turning, she quickly began to stalk through the space, taking care to step over the various piles, although her boot still seemed to catch one every now and then, sending her scampering forward a few steps as the sounds of hard items skittering across the stone floor echoed about her. Finally, she reached what appeared to be a doorway and she cautiously waved her hand toward it, finding that no door blocked her path, so she continued onward. Another opening stood on the far side of the room, revealing a room with much more light spilling into it, so she quickened her pace, noting that there seemed to be fewer piles in this room, in particular, but she still took care to skirt around them as much as she could.  


Just as she reached the doorway to the next, more well-lit space, the outline of a figure appeared in the doorway and she jumped, letting out a yelp of surprise and raising her bow.  


“Easy, easy!” Aloy’s voice hissed in the darkness, the figure before the Banuk redhead raising their hands.  


Anukai held her bow still for a few more moments before sighing and lowering it, shaking her head as she approached the doorway, once again.  


“You okay?” the older redhead asked as Anukai entered the next space, finding that it was where they had first entered the ruin.  


“Physically,” the Banuk muttered, tapping her Focus and removing the white lines from the low light mode around her.  


Aloy’s eyebrows raised in concern and Anukai swallowed heavily, gesturing back where she had come from moments ago.  


“There’s… this was a camp… once.”  


The older redhead’s lips pulled into a thin line as she glanced toward the dark doorway for a moment.  


“I found some, too,” she said, turning back to Anukai.  


“Did… did a single Stalker do… all that?”  


“Its armor is… unlike anything I’ve seen,” Aloy replied, “plus those extra cannons and the containers of that black substance that… I’m pretty sure is what that man was infected with, outside of Reva.”  


The Banuk redhead’s jaw worked tensely for a moment as she stared back into the darkened space beside them.  


“Those bones, then… they’re… recent.”  


Aloy drew a slow, deep breath through her nose as she nodded.  


“Think so.”  


A shiver ran down Anukai’s spine as she turned back to Aloy.  


“Ikrie’s okay, right?”  


“She seems fine,” the older redhead replied, nodding toward the doorway Anukai had originally taken when they had entered. “Go check on her.”  


The Banuk redhead nodded and quickly slipped through the opening, glancing around the open space until she found the dark-haired Banuk kneeling beside the Stalker’s corpse. Anukai sighed heavily and hurried toward her, Ikrie glancing up at the sound of her footsteps, a relieved expression coming over her features. The dark-haired Banuk rose to her feet just before the redhead reached her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.  


“It didn’t cut you, right?” Anukai muttered.  


“I’m fine,” Ikrie replied, running one hand across her back.  


With a sigh, the redhead pulled away from her, planting a quick kiss on her lips before offering a small smile. Ikrie mirrored it for a moment before they both turned back to the machine beside them.  


“Aloy said its armor is… different,” Anukai remarked, scanning over it, now that she wasn’t worried about it trying to rip her into pieces.  


“It is,” Ikrie nodded. “It’s… stronger, but somehow flexible.”  


Anukai tilted her head to the side slightly as she stared down at the machine, noting that unlike the Stalkers she had seen, before, the outer armor of this particular one seemed to be one, continuous piece of metal, with little to no evidence of where any individual pieces had been joined together. As she stared down at it, confusion creased her brow and she knelt beside it, gingerly running her fingers over part of its surface.  


“Does this remind you of those Corruptors?” she asked, glancing up at Ikrie.  


“A bit,” the dark-haired Banuk nodded, also crouching beside her. “Same color.”  


“Same material, I think.”  


Anukai frowned slightly as she lifted her gaze to the canisters near the hindquarters of the machine, noting that the glass still seemed to be intact, holding the black liquid inside contained, still.  


“That has to be the same—stuff—we saw that man infected with outside of Reva,” Ikrie said.  


Anukai nodded as the dark-haired Banuk’s eyebrows raised and she glanced down at her ankle, where the Stalker had grabbed her earlier, before swallowing heavily and letting out a soft “oh”. The redhead glanced up at her to find Ikrie’s face had gone pale, her lips pulled into a thin line, as well. When Anukai rose to her feet, she placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, offering a small smile.  


The sound of footsteps echoing about the space drew their attentions to the doorway where they had entered, finding Aloy stepping inside, her bow still held at her side but not drawn.  


“I haven’t found much of use, here,” she called. “Keep moving?”  


The Banuk girls nodded, casting final glances toward the felled Stalker before moving after the older redhead. As they stepped out of the ruin, Anukai felt the hair on the back of her neck finally begin to fall flat, once again, the tension in her shoulders slowly releasing.  


“You been in a lot of ruins, before?”  


She blinked at the question, glancing toward Aloy to find her sliding her bow over shoulders, her eyebrows raised slightly as she stared back at the younger redhead.  


“A few.”  


“Admittedly, I’ve spent little time in Banuk lands,” the older redhead sighed, “but I haven’t heard too many talk about exploring them.”  


“Little to find in them, usually,” Anukai shrugged, shouldering her bow, as well.  


“I gathered you weren’t afraid of them from our time out in the desert,” Aloy said.  


The Banuk redhead shook her head, glancing back to make sure Ikrie was beside her as they fell in step beside the older redhead, all three of them moving to head back toward the water to get their bearings and continue northward.  


“The Banuk don’t fear them, but… they’re wary.”  


Aloy’s expression suddenly changed to one of curiosity as her jaw worked slowly.  


“What?”  


“You referred to the Banuk as ‘they’.”  


A strange, tight feeling formed in Anukai’s chest as she felt a hard lump form in her throat. She tried to swallow it down as she felt Ikrie’s gaze falling on her, but she didn’t turn to meet it.  


“O-oh…”  


Finally, the younger redhead glanced toward her dark-haired companion to find an unreadable expression on Ikrie’s face, and she quickly looked away, once again. Silence fell over the three of them as they continued through the forest toward the coast, once again, continuing in a vaguely northward direction, as well. The remainder of the afternoon passed in a similar fashion, with no additional machine sightings, and little to no signs of other people, past or present, either.  


When the sun had finally begun to set, casting the world under the forested canopy in a hazy, grey light, the women finally decided to set up camp, finding a protected spot under a tree with lower branches that hung close to the ground. The debate about whether a fire was needed was short-lived, as the Banuk girls quickly argued that it was too warm for one, and so they simply opted to set up their bedrolls, passing around rations of some dried meat and tree nuts they had received from the villagers earlier.  


As they ate, Anukai caught Ikrie rubbing at her right ankle and she met her gaze, raising her eyebrows. The dark-haired girl sighed, pulling off her boot and pulling up the bottom of her leggings to show no signs of cuts or broken skin, although the hints of a purple bruise were visible. The redhead nodded, grinning sheepishly as Ikrie smirked and replaced her clothing how it had been moments ago.  


Once they had all eaten, they retired to their bedrolls, falling onto them to a chorus of sighs and groans. Almost immediately, Ikrie lay against Anukai’s side, bringing her head to rest on her right shoulder. After a moment or two of silence, the younger redhead cleared her throat, prompting Ikrie to turn her head to look up at her.  


“How far are we?”  


Another few moments of silence followed before the sound of Aloy clearing her throat came from nearby.  


“You asking me?”  


“Yeah.”  


The sound of the older redhead’s Focus coming to life sounded across their small camp before several more seconds of silence followed. Finally, Aloy sighed, the sound of the device powering down following shortly after.  


“Too far…”  


“How far, though?”  


“At least another day or two.”  


Silence fell over the camp, once again, but this time it seemed to be the final bout of the night, Anukai sighing heavily as she rolled her head toward Ikrie. The dark-haired girl wrapped one arm across her torso, squeezing the redhead tightly as she nuzzled her cheek into her shoulder. Anukai carefully slid her right arm behind her shoulders, as well, rubbing at the opposite one gently. As the redhead’s eyes slowly began to slide closed, she lifted her head slightly, pressing a gently kiss against the crown of Ikrie’s head before letting her own fall back and her eyes fully close.  


Shortly after drifting into unconsciousness, Anukai found vague images and impressions that she was able to identify as the night in Meridian before they had left weeks ago floated past her, and she felt a warm feeling settling in her chest. The thought that it had seemed so new back then felt almost ridiculous when compared to the present.  


When they got back, perhaps they could revisit a similar night.  


Perhaps just a bit different.  


Something different settled in her stomach and although she still seemed to be in a dream, she swore she could feel her cheeks burning.  


A moment later, however, the burning in the left side of her face seemed much more intense, only for it to quickly blossom into outright pain as the world seemed to violently shift around her until she was left lying on her stomach, her face pushed into a cold, hard surface. Her vision cleared with several blinks, revealing what appeared to be some kind of tile floor, several dark, small puddles of vermilion liquid spattered across it.  


Soon after, Anukai became aware that it felt as if her hands were held behind her back, something heavy placing weight on her wrists and preventing them from moving, while her shoulders ached from the strain put on them. She wanted to life her head, to look back, but her body didn’t seem to be responding to her.  


Instead, her gaze focused on another shape across the tile floor from her.  


Instantly, Anukai felt her blood run cold at the image of a raven-haired woman in a similarly restrained position on her stomach across from her. A gash ran across her left cheekbone, a good deal of blood smeared across her cheek, already, while fresh liquid continued to ooze from the wound. She could still see that her hair appeared to be chopped shorter than usual, the ends of it jagged and uneven, but she still seemed to be wearing the same clothing she remembered from Reva, less any of her weapons and her outer cloak.  


“So whose stupid idea was it to steal a weapon, a keycard, and try to escape?”  


The voice seemed to draw Anukai’s attention as her head lifted slightly to look toward it, finding a man with short, brown hair crouching on the floor between herself and Talanah, glancing between the two of them.  


“You’re lucky that Andre didn’t die,” the man continued, nodding slowly, “or this would go much worse.”  


The man rose to a standing position, his boots approaching Anukai before one suddenly drew back to deliver a strong kick to her right shoulder, pain exploding in it instantly as she heard the sound of a muted groan in her own voice echo in her ears.  


“My bet’s on you,” the man said, crouching down before Anukai and meeting her gaze. “Am I right?”  


The redhead couldn’t reply, even if she wanted to, as her jaw remained squarely shut. With a sigh, the man reached for something at his waist, drawing a knife from a sheath on it before moving toward her. Anukai felt her body struggle against its restraints, but the weight only increased on her back.  


“Don’t!”  


The voice cracked slightly as it echoed across the tile floor, prompting the man to stop, turning to look over his shoulder.  


“It was my idea.”  


Anukai could feel a sense of fear and dread building in her as the man rose to a standing position, once again, revealing Talanah staring up at him.  


“Well… now that’s surprising,” he commented, approaching her before delivering a swift kick to her side.  


Talanah let out a grunt of pain against the blow, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment before opening to glare up at the man, once again.  


“Faro says they need to live,” another voice chimed in from nearby, drawing the man before Talanah’s attention.  


“I know,” he sighed, glancing down at the Carja woman before her for a moment or two, “but he did say we could rough them up a bit.”  


With a glance back toward Anukai, a dark smirk tugged at his lips.  


“Teach them a lesson.”  


Turning back to Talanah, he glanced at the two figures holding her down.  


“Break her—a bit. Teach her not to take what isn’t hers.”  


Just then, the figures shifted Talanah’s position, the one on her left side, a woman, dragging her left arm so that it was extended across the tile floor, even as Talanah struggled against her. A moment later, the woman had knelt on it, just above the elbow, firmly holding the Carja’s arm in place. Anukai could see her hand desperately clenching at the tile floor, as if attempting to gain some sort of grip on it underneath the woman’s knee, but it did little to actually allow her to get free.  


A moment later, the woman drew a weapon over her shoulders, one of the dark, metal ones like the Enforcers had carried in Reva, and turned it so the portion that typically rested against the shoulder was held forward in her hands.  


The scene seemed to slow to a crawl for a moment as the woman lifted the weapon in both hands, only for it to return to normal speed just as she brought it down on Talanah’s arm with a loud bang. The Carja let out a strangled sound as if she were trying to hold back a cry of pain, and Anukai instantly felt a tight feeling building in her chest. The woman raised the weapon and swung it again, this time eliciting a loud snap that seemed to echo about the room.  


Talanah’s lips finally gave way, as well, a cry of pain breaking free from her. The sound sent a shock through Anukai, the feeling like ice stabbing into her spine. The next thing she knew, a surge of fire burst in her chest, stronger than any she had felt before. It was almost painful, the way it pushed at her ribs, as if trying to break through her bones, tear through her skin, and consume the world around her.  


The sound of her own voice began to ring her ears, but the words were unfamiliar. They almost didn’t sound like words to her, at all, but her lips moved easily, as if she knew them already. She could feel her body thrashing against her restraints, the floor hard beneath her, but the feeling of both it and the grasp at her wrists felt muted, distant. The pain in her chest was greater than any caused by her motions.  


Even as the strange words in her voice continued to echo and ring about her, the woman atop Talanah shifted her position, raising her weapon, once again, before bringing it down atop her hand, instead. The bang, the snap, the cries, all came again, Anukai’s entire body now filled with fire as her vision began to constrict, everything around her falling away until only Talanah and the woman atop her arm remained in focus.  


The Carja’s mouth hung open as sounds like sobs escaped her. Talanah’s eyes were tightly closed, but trails of tears were easily visible running down her cheek, mixing with the blood and seeming to make it run anew.  


“What the hell is she saying?”  


The words seemed to penetrate the haze that had fallen over her, as the rest of the world suddenly appeared in focus, once again, revealing another man standing nearby, staring down at her in confusion.  


“Is she trying to put some kind of curse on us or something?” another voice came from above her, likely from one of the people holding her down, as well.  


“Who knows,” the man from earlier shrugged, suddenly appearing beside the first one who had spoken, glaring down at Anukai.  


A moment later, the redhead’s gaze focused on Talanah, once again to find the woman with the weapon still kneeling beside her arm, although by the way it lay limply on the ground, it didn’t seem the Carja woman was in any shape to move it. Anukai noted for a moment that her forearm seemed to have an unnatural bend halfway down it, and she felt the fire resurge in her, once again.  


Just then, the redhead heard her voice ring in her ears, the sound as if the same fire had become real, verbalized and expelled into the world. This time, though, she understood the words.  


“I’m going to fucking kill you.”  


The figures visible before her all turned to the redhead with expressions somewhere between confusion and surprise before the woman over Talanah seemed to smirk, turning back to the Carja before raising her foot in the air. The next second, the heel of her boot came down on the back of the Carja’s left shoulder, and a loud crack split the air, followed immediately by a shrieking wail from Talanah.  


Anukai’s voice rang about the space, once again, but this time she couldn’t tell if there were actually any words amongst it, familiar or not. Talanah’s face remained turned, one cheek flat against the floor, as her half-closed eyes seemed to stare back into the redhead’s. The Carja’s torso heaved with something between shallow, ragged pants and sobs as her entire left arm and shoulder seemed to lay still, all signs of strength gone from it.  


Through the sounds of Anukai’s own voice still echoing about the space, another cut through a moment later, deep and growling.  


“Shut her the fuck up.”  


Just then, the restraint on her back shifted and she felt her body try to thrash against it, trying to break free, but a moment later a hand wrapped around her forehead, pulling it back just before the feeling of cold metal pressed against her throat.  


In the moment she expected to feel the blade press into her skin, she suddenly found herself in a very different space, this one much darker than before. She continued to thrash in place for several moments, before her motions began to slow, the realization that she was somewhere else sinking into her.  


The ground wasn’t hard tile, but dirt covered in leaves and fallen twigs. It wasn’t lit by an unnatural light source from overhead. There were no figures holding her arms behind her back. There was no Talanah.  


A moment later, something touched her shoulder and she jumped, rolling onto her side in a moment and staring up into the darkness to try to discern what it had been. Several long seconds passed before her mind began to register the image of a face amidst the darkness around her, and she focused on it. Another few moments later, confusion gripped her.  


She couldn’t have been there.  


She had just seen her arm broken.  


She had been bleeding.  


Suddenly, Anukai’s eyes widened as the fog of the dream began to fully lift from her mind, and she was able to discern Ikrie’s face amidst the darkness, the dark-haired Banuk remaining a short distance from her as she kept one hand hesitantly raised toward her.  


“Anukai…?”  


The redhead swallowed, immediately noting how raw her throat felt.  


“Y-yeah…”  


“You awake?”  


She took a slow, deep breath.  


“Yeah.”  


With that, Ikrie slowly moved closer, placing one hand on her shoulder, once again, and reaching toward her face with the other, gently cupping her cheek in the palm of her hand.  


“Are you okay?” the dark-haired girl said slowly.  


Anukai nodded, slowly rising to a seated position as Ikrie’s hands slid to her upper arms, instead. As she did, the sounds of motion and what seemed to be sobbing began to register in her mind and she paused, glancing toward the other side of their small camp to find Aloy lying flat on her stomach, her arms folded before her as her face remained buried in them.  


“You were both thrashing about,” Ikrie said softly. “You… you both screamed and… I swear by the Great Banukai that I thought you both might be d-dying, and—”  


Anukai shook her head, pulling Ikrie into an embrace almost as if in a daze, although the dark-haired girl returned it with a much more immediate intensity.  


“I saw her,” the redhead whispered in her ear. “We saw her.”  


“Saw who?”  


“Talanah.”  


Ikrie seemed to freeze for a moment before pulling back from the embrace, returning her hands to Anukai’s shoulders, once again.  


“She’s… she’s not…?”  


“She’s alive… for now,” the redhead said softly. “Just barely… maybe.”  


Ikrie let out a heavy sigh, her grip tightening on Anukai for a moment as she leaned forward, placing her forehead against the redhead’s.  


“What do you believe, Anukai?” she whispered. “Is she alive?”  


The redhead swallowed heavily, nodding slowly against the dark-haired girl. Ikrie squeezed her shoulders as she mimicked the nod in return.  


“Are you okay, yourself?” the dark-haired Banuk asked.  


Anukai slowly pulled her forehead back from Ikrie’s, turning to look back at the faint image of Aloy amidst the darkness behind them before taking a deep breath.  


“I will be.”  


A moment later, as she turned back to Ikrie, the dark-haired Banuk nodded before giving her shoulders yet another, firm squeeze and placing a soft kiss to her temple. With that, she carefully rose from her kneeling position, moving toward the older redhead as Anukai pulled her legs in closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.  


When she glanced back toward the other two, she found Ikrie tentatively crouching beside Aloy, one hand reaching toward her back. When her fingers touched the older redhead, she suddenly jumped, flailing for a moment as she threw herself onto her side, staring up at Ikrie.  


“Aloy…”  


“I’m gonna fucking kill them,” she interjected, her voice raw and raspy, as if she had been screaming, herself. “All of them.”  


“You saw Talanah?”  


The older redhead paused, although Anukai couldn’t see her face as she was hidden behind Ikrie’s form.  


“How—?”  


“And you know she’s alive, then?”  


Another few long moments passed before the sound of Aloy clearing her throat came from the other side of the camp.  


“She might be.”  


“She is.”  


Silence fell over the camp for several long moments before Ikrie sighed, leaning back on her heels.  


“Aloy, I don’t hate you,” the dark-haired Banuk said softly. “I… I was angry… but…”  


The sound of Ikrie taking a slow, deep breath came before she continued, her tone slightly stronger, now.  


“I understand how you’re feeling right now, believe me.”  


Silence fell over them for several moments as Anukai caught Aloy shifting her position slightly.  


“I also know that Talanah’s strong, and you do, too, right?”  


The older redhead remained silent, but must have nodded as Ikrie continued.  


“And I know you will tear through mountains and an army to get to her.”  


For a moment, the image of Talanah’s face, covered in a mixture of blood and tears, her eyes half-open as her arm lay limply across the floor beside her, flashed before Anukai and she felt her grip around her knees tightening.  


“I will help you,” Ikrie continued, finally. “Our goals are the same. Our wants are the same, here.”  


Anukai watched as Ikrie extended a hand toward the older redhead, letting it hang in the air between them for several long moments.  


“Her song is not over, yet. I give you my word.”  


Finally, Aloy’s hand reached up to clasp Ikrie’s forearm, the two huntresses gripping each other tightly for several long moments before the dark-haired Banuk nodded.  


“At first light, we continue,” Ikrie said.  


A pause followed before Anukai saw their arms shake slightly.  


“First light.”  


With that, they finally released each other from their grasp and Ikrie made her way back to her bedroll beside Anukai. The younger redhead continued to stare over at Aloy, finding her on her side, propped up on one elbow. The older redhead remained still for several long moments before rubbing at her eyes with one hand, wiping at her cheeks with the back of it a moment later, before she rolled away from the Banuk girls, settling onto her bedroll, although her back still seemed to heave and shake slightly, even if she had mostly fallen silent.  


Ikrie’s hand on her shoulder drew Anukai’s attention back to her. As she turned, the dark-haired girl’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, her head coming to rest on the redhead’s shoulder. Anukai carefully unfurled her right arm from around her knees to wrap behind Ikrie’s back, her fingers massaging along her spine slowly.  


“She will not die,” the dark-haired girl whispered.  


“That’s a strong promise.”  


“It’s made to both of you,” she replied.  


Anukai paused for a moment, her hand stilling its motions, as well. At the hesitation, Ikrie lifted her head to meet the redhead’s eyes, the pale color visible from inches away, even in the darkness.  


“And I mean it as I have meant every one to you.”  


The redhead’s lips drew into a thin line for a moment before Ikrie closed the gap between them, pressing her lips gently against the redhead’s. Anukai accepted them, her motions equally as careful in response, even as part of her wanted to pull the other girl into her, draw in every fiber, every essence of her being, let her wrap around every part of her that constricted her chest, stabbed along her spine, and screamed in the back of her mind.  


It wouldn’t be fair to simply try to take all that she provided, no matter how selfish Anukai wanted to be.  


To have it beside her, to have Ikrie offer even a piece of it, though.  


That she would gladly accept.  


Finally, when their lips parted, they remained within inches of each other, holding still for several long moments. Ikrie eventually let out a slow sigh, the warmth of her breath washing across Anukai’s face.  


“Rest,” she whispered.  


The redhead nodded slowly, prompting Ikrie to place one last, quick kiss against her before gently tugging her toward the bedroll, once again. As Anukai stretched out on hers, the dark-haired girl pulled her onto her side, sliding closer until she had wrapped her arms around the redhead, burying her face in the crook of her neck. One of her legs slipped between Anukai’s, her foot coming to rest behind one of her own and locking the two of them in place.  


The redhead remained still, but with her eyes open for several long moments, before she carefully laid her left arm over her side, bringing her palm to rest in the center of her back. Gently, she pressed against it, closing her eyes as she searched for the sensation she had come to know so well in the week she had lost, back in the bunker.  


Slowly, even through the layers of their tunic between them, she began to feel it, rhythmically beating at her own chest, until hers aligned with it.  


As she felt herself begin to drift into unconsciousness, once again, she found herself worrying that the same images would return, but her mind quickly focused on the beat against her chest, instead.  


She could accept it.  


As the world fully faded away around her, that single constant remained.  


With it, came a different image.  


Not one of a face framed in dark hair coated in blood and pain, but one in freckles and a nervous smile.  


“So, did we decide?”  


Anukai found herself blinking at the image of Ikrie, her face marked by a youthfulness that immediately placed her in the moment, once again.  


“I have,” Anukai replied.  


“Then I have, as well,” the dark-haired girl nodded resolutely.  


“Is that what you truly want, Ikrie?”  


The Banuk girl paused for a moment before straightening her posture, one hand coming to rest on the redhead’s shoulder.  


“My want is to be a Snow Ghost, free to do what I will. My will… is that you and I will find that freedom… together.”  


Anukai’s lips pulled back in a grin as she raised her arm to clasp Ikrie’s shoulder, in return.  


“That’s a strong will, Ikrie.”  


The dark-haired girl grinned, as well, her pale eyes shining in the bright sunshine that washed over them.  


“It is a promise, Anukai.”  


The redhead nodded, shifting her hand to bring it to rest on the back of the dark-haired girl’s head, leaning forward to press her forehead against Ikrie’s as she did the same, in return.  


“And so our next verse begins.”


	6. But Also Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday y'all.
> 
> Moving right along.

When Anukai finally awoke to a gentle shaking, she found the forest cloaked in the grey light of early dawn. Blinking sleep away, she found that Ikrie still seemed to be asleep before her, so she turned her head to glance over her shoulder, finding Aloy kneeling behind her.  


“Sun’s coming up,” the older redhead muttered.  


Anukai nodded and Aloy rose to return to her bedroll, leaving the younger redhead to turn back to her sleeping companion. With a sigh, she gently shook the dark-haired Banuk, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek, as well.  


“Ikrie…” she chimed in a soft sing-song tone, grinning.  


The dark-haired girl stirred, one eye slowly cracking open, although it was still mostly hidden behind several locks of shaggy hair hanging over her forehead.  


“Morning,” the redhead whispered.  


Ikrie closed her eye, once again, breathing deeply through her nose before the rest of her body began to stir. Slowly, the dark-haired Banuk began to disentangle herself from about the redhead, stretching her arms and legs one by one as Anukai rose to a kneeling position, twisting her back slowly.  


“When you said a day or two,” she managed, groaning softly as she rolled her shoulders, stretching her right arm across her chest, “were you thinking two full days?”  


When she glanced back at Aloy, she found the older redhead still packing her belongings, seemingly having not paid attention to her.  


“Aloy?”  


The older redhead startled slightly, stopping her packing to glance over at her.  


“What?”  


“When you said a day or two to this city,” Anukai repeated, “was that two full days?”  


“Oh… seems like it might be,” she sighed. “If we make good time.”  


“We will.”  


The older redhead hesitated for a moment before offering a small smile, nodding. Turning back to her belongings, Anukai began to pack up her bedroll, once again, making sure everything was secured before attaching it to her person and grabbing her weapons from nearby. Ikrie yawned heavily as she also secured her bedroll, picking up her bow from nearby and idly thumbing at the string.  


“You okay?”  


She startled at the sound of Anukai’s voice, glancing up at her.  


“Yeah,” she shrugged.  


“Tired?”  


“A bit.”  


The redhead frowned, stepping closer to her and placing her hands on her upper arms.  


“Not sleep well?”  


The dark-haired girl shrugged, again, but didn’t meet her eyes.  


“Ikrie…”  


“I… no, I didn’t,” she muttered. “Not after… you know.”  


Anukai frowned as Ikrie let out a heavy sigh, slipping forward against the redhead and wrapping her arms loosely around her.  


“You were screaming,” she muttered, “in your sleep… and… I couldn’t stop hearing that.”  


The redhead felt her heart sink into her stomach as she returned the embrace, but squeezed the dark-haired girl tightly.  


“It was… there was so much… pain and… rage,” Ikrie muttered into her tunic. “If… if that was from seeing her… like you said you have before…”  


Anukai gently rocked the dark-haired girl slowly, leaning her head forward to bury her face in the top of her hair.  


“I’ve never heard you sound like that,” Ikrie continued, her voice barely louder than a breath, “and… it terrified me, Anukai.”  


“That’s why we won’t give up,” the redhead muttered. “You said it yourself.”  


“I know… I know…”  


Finally, Ikrie seemed to have calmed enough that she took a deep breath and began to pull away from the redhead, although Anukai held her in place for a moment by her upper arms, meeting her gaze directly with raised eyebrows. The dark-haired girl remained silent, but nodded, offering a small smile in return. With one of her own, Anukai placed a brief kiss on her before releasing her arms, turning back to Aloy behind them.  


“Sorry,” she said, sighing as she caught the older redhead watching them with an unreadable expression on her face.  


“Don’t be,” Aloy replied. “If you saw what I saw… I don’t blame you… either of you, once you heard, Ikrie.”  


The younger redhead nodded, straightening her posture as she lifted her chin slightly, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.  


“So let’s get her, right?”  


Aloy’s jaw clenched as she nodded, as well.  


“Right.”  


With that, the three women set off through the forest, making sure to keep the sounds of the water on the coastline to their left as they maintained as quick of a pace through the underbrush as they were able without flat-out running the entire morning. Thankfully, the terrain was not difficult to traverse, and so they were able to keep a steady rhythm, all of them remaining silent and committed to it, despite the amount of sweat that began to pour off their brows under the rising heat of the morning.  


When they did finally stop for a brief break at midday, the three of them taking seats against the side of what appeared to be some kind of ancient machine that was a good ten yards long, or so, with a row of what had once been windows set into the top portion of it. As they did, all three of them wiped at the sweat pouring off their faces and down the backs of their necks, but it did little to help, it seemed. Finally, after drinking generously from one of their canteens, Anukai rose to her feet with a groan, pulling off her gloves and dropping most of her equipment before moving to step around the side of the machine.  


“Where are you going?” Ikrie called.  


“Be right back.”  


As Anukai moved onto the far side of the wreckage, she undid the ties of her tunic, pulling it over her head. After holding it in place between her knees, she quickly set about removing the dark blue under-tunic that now looked almost black with the amount of sweat soaked into it. As she pulled it from beneath the waist of her skirt and peeled it from her skin, she grimaced at just how wet the cloth felt in her hands; wringing it out did little to lessen her displeasure as a small torrent of liquid seemed to pour from it.  


Finally, she replaced the outer tunic, securing it in place and double checking that it would not easily come loose. Satisfied, she let out a heavy sigh, already feeling the effects of the breeze across her now bared midriff.  


“Whatever helps…” she muttered, grabbing the soaked undergarment and making her way back to the others.  


As soon as she rounded the edge of the machine, Ikrie glanced toward her before pulling a double take, her eyebrows raising as Anukai smirked.  


“Getting a little hot?” Aloy commented, also smirking at the younger redhead.  


“If this is any evidence,” she replied, holding up the soaked piece of cloth and eliciting a look of disgust from the older redhead.  


As Anukai took a seat between the other two, once again, she began to shove the undergarment into her bedroll before thinking better of it and wrapping it, along with her gloves, around the outside, using the leather cord that tied it together to hold the fabric in place, as well. With it taken care of, she began to reattach her equipment about her person, but kept her bow before her as she let out a heavy sigh, idly twisting the weapon back and forth in her fingers. When she glanced over at Ikrie, the dark-haired girl quickly seemed to glance at the canteen in her hands, but she couldn’t hide the hints of red that began to show along her cheekbones.  


“You going to be okay, there?” Anukai teased, smirking.  


“What?” Ikrie replied almost immediately, glancing over at her, again.  


The younger redhead laughed, prompting the dark-haired girl to stare down at her canteen, once again, her face now a noticeable shade of red. Anukai leaned over to her, placing a kiss on her temple, which only seemed to deepen the shade to scarlet.  


“Ikrie, I’m not sure why you’re so embarrassed, personally,” Aloy suddenly called over to her, grinning as she rose to her feet. “It’s not like the way you look at her normally is any different.”  


The dark-haired girl suddenly pulled her knees into her chest, burying her face in them as the older redhead smirked, taking one last swig from her canteen before returning it to her belt.  


“We need to keep moving, though.”  


With that, she began to move past them, Anukai sighing and rising to her feet, as well. As she did, she extended a hand to the dark-haired Banuk, Ikrie finally uncurling herself and taking it, accepting the redhead’s help to pull herself to her feet.  


“Are you going to be too distracted?” the redhead teased quietly, smirking.  


“No,” Ikrie shot back, narrowing her eyes at her, in return.  


“Good, because I was sweating to death and this actually helps, somewhat,” Anukai sighed, turning to follow after Aloy before pausing and glancing back at Ikrie. “Maybe you should consider it, too.”  


The dark-haired Banuk’s face turned a deeper red than Anukai’s hair as she simply laughed and began to follow after the older redhead, waving for Ikrie to catch up. As the other girl’s steps fell in beside her, the redhead glanced over at her, grinning.  


“Feeling better?”  


Confusion creased the dark-haired girl’s face as she glanced over at her.  


“What?”  


“After this morning,” she said quietly, “feeling better?”  


“Because… you took off part of your clothing?”  


Anukai rolled her eyes, shouldering Ikrie playfully as the other girl grinned.  


“I’ll take your joking to mean you are.”  


Silence fell over the group, once again, as they resumed their pace through the forested landscape, continuously moving northward. By mid-afternoon, they had seen several other ruined structures and other signs of ancient machines left to rust scattered about the landscape, but little to no signs of other currently-living societies. Anukai found herself somewhat surprised that they had not come across another fishing village, or something similar, but the reminder of the ruins and the Stalker the day before told her that perhaps settling in this area was not the best choice.  


As the sun began to sink lower to the horizon over the water to their left, they began to discuss the idea of stopping for the night, although Aloy’s argument to push on for a little longer ultimately won out, as the other two didn’t push back against her insistence. As they made their way up a hill that had suddenly arisen from the terrain, Anukai caught the older redhead suddenly coming to a stop as she reached the top. Confusion creased her face but she pushed onward, reaching Aloy a few moments later.  


Just as she opened her mouth to ask what had prompted her to stop, she caught sight of the scene before them and fell still, her eyes widening even as her mouth still hung open. The hill seemed to immediately slope down and away from them, however the ground below them revealed a wide expanse of coastline that seemed to be littered with ancient, metal debris. Machine corpses lay half-buried in the sand of the beach to their left, numerous enough that Anukai wondered if perhaps there was not a single inch of the ground that didn’t contain metal.  


Even past the beach, on the high ground inland, signs of metal wreckage littered the ground amidst the trees. As Anukai glanced between them, however, she noted several familiar shapes amidst the carnage that sent a shiver down her spine.  


“What happened here?” she asked softly.  


“A battle,” Aloy replied, her eyes also remaining locked on the scene before them.  


“An… an ancient one?” Ikrie chimed in from the other side of Anukai.  


The older redhead sighed heavily, prompting the girls to look over at her.  


“For the end of the world,” Aloy finally muttered, nodding before turning to them and gesturing toward the trees behind the metallic graveyard. “We can go around.”  


“Look at how many of them there are,” Anukai interjected. “That could take a while… would be faster to just go straight through.”  


The older redhead looked visibly conflicted before she finally took a deep breath and nodded.  


“Okay.”  


With that, Anukai led the way down the hill, trudging toward the field of fallen machine corpses. As they neared the first of them, she slowed her pace for a moment, realizing just how large many of them were now that they were up close. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to continue onward, stepping between the rusted corpse of a Corruptor and some other ancient machine.  


Her eyes constantly flicked from faded black body to faded black body as part of her waited for them to come to life at any moment. As they passed by one of the ancient machines she didn’t recognize, its body rectangular and squat while a similarly blocky and rectangular head sat atop it, Anukai felt a strange, tight feeling appearing in her chest and she paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that one hand was outstretched toward the rusted metal.  


Just as she curled her fingers into a fist, pulling her arm back, the sound of a heavy, shaky sigh came from behind her, followed by what sounded like scuffling. The redhead quickly whirled around, one hand reaching for her bow, but she didn’t find attackers suddenly setting upon Aloy and Ikrie, only the older redhead sitting on the ground before the same machine, her head held in her hands while the dark-haired Banuk glanced between her and Anukai helplessly.  


The younger redhead quickly moved over to them, kneeling before Aloy and reaching tentatively toward her shoulder.  


“Hey, are you okay?” she asked. “Need some water?”  


“Not… no, I… this place… it… it’s a… to… what I…”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face, but as she glanced toward Ikrie, she found the dark-haired Banuk was gone, instead replaced by another redhead, seemingly about her own age. She recoiled slightly, staring her up and down even as the other girl only turned to her slowly, a frown tugging at her lips. She had long hair, thus ruling out an image of Ara, but it was also tied back into a mane of smaller braids, held in place by blue and red beads.  


As Anukai turned back to the older redhead beside her, she found that something had changed with her, as well. Quickly, her eyes widened as she took in the unfamiliar clothing, the short hair that showed no signs of braids at the sides…  


“I did this… I… I made them do this…” she muttered quietly, still sitting with her head in her hands.  


“I-I… you did what?” Anukai asked tentatively.  


“This graveyard,” the other younger redhead said, gesturing to the metal corpses around them. “I said it was a battle.”  


She blinked slowly as realization came over her.  


“Aloy?”  


“Who else would it be?” the other girl smirked.  


“You… look different.”  


“Happens, sometimes… in this state,” she shrugged.  


“And what state is that…?”  


“Like at the old ranch, before we got to Reva,” the young Aloy said. “We’re—not exactly—in the moment, as you may guess.”  


“Ikrie’s not here.”  


“Right,” the other redhead nodded. “This is the space we all share—you, me, Elisabet… maybe even Ara… and it’s likely how we’ve seen this new girl—”  


“Ashana,” Anukai interjected.  


Aloy paused, nodding slowly as she repeated her name, as Ikrie had done before.  


“Well—then likely how we’ve seen Ashana and… have seen what she sees.”  


The other younger redhead swallowed heavily before turning back to the older one beside them, drawing Anukai’s attention, as well. The woman had changed her position, pulling her knees in tight to her chest as she buried her face in them. Seemingly sensing their gazes, she slowly lifted her head, revealing the redness to her widened eyes, the hints of smeared tear trails on her cheeks.  


“I-I remember,” she said slowly, her voice shaking, “like it was yesterday.”  


“Remember what?” Anukai pressed softly.  


Elisabet turned her gaze to her, the bloodshot portions nearly reaching the gold-green hazel at the centers of her eyes.  


“Giving them Enduring Victory.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face just before a flood of images flashed before her. Men in strange, ancient clothing, sat about a round table, gesturing and shouting angrily at her. Images of a globe shape made of blue light quickly became overrun with red. Images of Corruptors in these same panels of light, skittering across open terrain and ancient cities made of metal and glass. Her own voice echoed in her ears, but it was tempered with its own anger, and wariness.  


Finally, Anukai seemed to return to the moment as she gasped for air against the constricting feeling in her chest. She fell forward a moment later, catching herself on the ground before she fully collapsed. As she did, her gaze happened to travel to her left arm as her eyes widened. From the elbow to her hand, it was no longer the silver metal she had become used to, but her normal, pale skin. She slowly raised her hand before her, turning it over several times before the feeling of something coming to rest on her shoulder drew her attention.  


When she lifted her head, she found the young Nora redhead kneeling before her, her lips pulled into a thin line.  


“I’m sorry,” she said softly.  


“For… for what?”  


“That you have to experience this… shit.”  


Both younger redheads’ gazes turned back to Elisabet beside them as the older redhead rubbed at her eyes furiously for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and returning her elbows to her knees, her hands hanging tiredly before her.  


“This was a battleground, once,” she said, nodding to the rusted machine carcass beside them. “It was part of a campaign called Operation Enduring Victory.”  


“I… I saw,” Anukai said slowly, nodding.  


“It was a last-ditch effort to give Zero Dawn a chance,” Elisabet continued. “It was… it was hopeless, in the end—a lie—but… it did what it had to… Thousands of soldiers fought against a self-replicating army of Faro robots—the Corruptors and… bigger ones—all under the idea that they thought Zero Dawn would save them. Zero Dawn, though, was GAIA and… well, you’ve seen what happened, in the end.  


Anukai swallowed heavily as she managed to push herself back to a kneeling position, resting on her heels. Elisabet slowly glanced around the metal carcasses about them, her chest seeming to have stopped heaving for a moment, even as the tears continued to roll freely.  


“Everything she’s done… GAIA… is our legacy… but so is this.”  


Anukai nodded slowly, also taking in the ancient machines about them, trying to imagine the scene of all of the Corruptors bearing down on her, in battle, and a shiver ran through her. As her gaze began to turn back to Elisabet, she also noted that the sounds of the waves nearby had mysteriously stopped, although she had no idea how long they had been missing before she had simply noticed.  


“Our—bloodline, family, legacy, whatever you want to call it—” the older redhead said, as the younger redhead’s focus returned to her, once again, “is filled with death… no matter what we try to do to fight it.”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for several moments before she closed her eyes, shaking her head.  


“But also life,” she said forcefully, opening her eyes as she stared at Elisabet. “Besides, songs have more than one verse.”  


She glanced to the young Aloy beside her to find her nodding slowly, although her gaze still hung heavy with a similar wariness as Elisabet’s. After a few more moments of silence, the sound of the older redhead sighing, once again, drew Anukai’s attention back to her.  


“I truly hope so, kiddo.”  


With the next blink, the image of the older redhead shifted, her hair suddenly longer and her clothing made out of a combination of tanned leather and the strange, black material along the sides and some of the seams when she moved. Anukai blinked several more times, but the image of the older Aloy remained, her gaze still fixed on her knees, but her muttering and panting seemingly calmed. The younger redhead glanced to Ikrie beside her to find her looking back helplessly.  


“She… she was panicking, I think,” the dark-haired girl said, “but… she just suddenly stopped…”  


Anukai took a deep breath, turning back to Aloy to find her staring back at her, the familiar gold-green hazel locking with hers for a moment in silence before the younger redhead cleared her throat.  


“You okay to continue?” she asked.  


The older redhead nodded and Anukai returned the gesture, rising to her feet and offering one hand to her. Aloy took it, the younger redhead noting how strong her grip was as she pulled her to her feet. When she was standing, Anukai went to release her hand, but the older redhead held fast for a moment, taking a deep breath before finally releasing her from her grasp. A moment later, Ikrie was standing, as well, and the three women all glanced around the machine graveyard for several moments before turning and continuing along their path, although the younger redhead caught the dark-haired girl shooting her a concerned look.  


The rest of their journey through the ancient site passed in silence, with only the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and metallic corpses echoing about them. Finally, when they had ascended the incline on the far side of the site, Anukai cast one last look back at the field behind them before turning to follow after the other two. She soon noted how Aloy continued for another half an hour or so, pushing them until the sun had already sunk below the horizon, but also until the sky had almost entirely faded to a deep indigo, before they finally stopped for the night.  


All three of them collapsed in a small, rocky alcove on a short segment of a sandy beach, seemingly barely able to unfurl their bedrolls before falling onto them. Anukai ended up face-down on hers, burying her face in the fur blanket that she had shoved into a pillow-like shape, the fatigue already heavy in her limbs. A moment later, she felt Ikrie slide beside her and she managed to turn her head to the left, finding the vague silhouette of the dark-haired girl seemingly inches away, attempting to work herself under the redhead’s shoulder.  


With a smirk, Anukai lifted her arm, allowing Ikrie to slide under it before draping it over her and squeezing her opposite side gently. A moment later, the redhead felt the dark-haired girl’s arm wrap around the single exposed section on her back, drawing a smirk from Anukai as Ikrie nuzzled her face into the side of the pillow, as well, before letting out a heavy sigh. The redhead continued to smirk, even if it was likely impossible to see, before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on what she assumed was her cheek.  


Almost immediately after, her head fell onto the pillow and she found her eyes sliding closed, sleep coming quickly. Unlike the night before, no images of a broken and battered Carja or an unfamiliar redhead appeared, but instead she found herself bathed in bright sunlight, causing her to squint her eyes. When she was able to reopen them more fully, she found herself reclined on some kind of surface that appeared to be a mixture of a bed and a chair, the section beneath her back inclined slightly so that she was not lying entirely flat. Blinking in confusion, she noted that the ground past her feet appeared to be made of wood, and also that she was not wearing the leggings and boots she had fallen asleep in earlier. Instead, her feet were bare, and the clothing on the lower part of her body only reached from her waist to about halfway to her knees.  


As Anukai glanced around, she noted that the wood-covered ground seemed to stretch to either side of her, while a large, metal building rose from it to her left. At first, she seemed to be the only person in the area, until the sound of a sigh from her right drew her attention. A shirtless, dark-haired man with a pair of dark eye coverings adjusted his position on a similar chair beside her, folding his arms behind his head.  


“You relaxing, yet?”  


Anukai remained silent until the man rolled his head toward her, raising his eyebrows above the top of the eye coverings.  


“Lis?”  


The redhead’s heart began to pound in her chest as her eyes widened slightly, her gaze glancing down at herself, taking in the clothing, once again, the images finally seeming to click in her mind.  


“Hello?”  


Anukai’s head whipped back toward the figure to find that a brunette woman had replaced the man. Although she still wore the same eye coverings, her clothing seemed perhaps closest to something she would expect a Carja to wear, only covering the bare minimum to be considered decent, with a larger, white top made of some kind of thin, white fabric that was partially pinned beneath her, but left open in the front. The woman tilted her head forward, lowering the eye coverings to reveal a pair of light brown eyes.  


“The drink hitting you that hard?”  


The redhead swallowed heavily before shrugging.  


“I… I don’t know?”  


In the blink of an eye, the woman was replaced with the first man, the lowered eye coverings revealing rather pale eyes, instead.  


“You need to learn to let some things go,” he sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back into his chair.  


A moment later, however, the entire scene was replaced with a similar environment, but the wooden floor appeared to be rotted and covered in moss and mold, with the metal building nearby covered in copious amounts of rust. Anukai started, only for the next blink to bring back the world as it had been a moment ago. The redhead continued to glance around, her chest heaving, blinking and waiting for the decayed version of the world to return, but everything remained bright and normal.  


“You act like you just saw a ghost.”  


The voice drew Anukai’s attention back to her right side, finding the brunette woman in the chair, once again.  


“I… maybe I did,” the redhead muttered.  


“Really?” the brunette replied, pushing herself to a more upright seated position on her chair. “Where? I wanna see.”  


Anukai continued to stare back at her as she swallowed heavily, the other woman smirking before laughing and waving dismissively.  


“Relax.”  


The redhead took a deep breath, but ultimately turned to her side, lifting her feet over the side of the chair and placing them on the ground beside it, somewhat surprised by how warm the surface felt, although she also noted that it didn’t exactly feel like actual wood.  


“Going somewhere?”  


When she lifted her gaze to the chair across from her, she noted the figure had changed, again, this time to a dark-skinned woman in a brightly-colored dress and a similarly coordinated headscarf. Something about her appearance seemed familiar to Anukai, however, and she stared at her more closely as she turned to the redhead, lifting the eye coverings from her face to stare back at her. As Anukai stared at her face, she found a name floating to the top of her mind, and soon after to her tongue.  


“Something’s strange, Samina.”  


The redhead recoiled slightly in surprise, the words seeming to fall from her of their own volition.  


“What do you mean?” the other woman replied, concern creasing her face.  


“W-where… where is this?” Anukai managed.  


“Well…”  


The woman sighed, hanging her head for a moment, only for her image to shift with the redhead’s next blink. As she took in the new image, her body grew tense, her eyes widening slightly.  


“That’s a bit hard to define,” the image of Talanah sighed.  


Anukai quickly noted how the Carja appeared to be dressed in a similar outfit to the brunette woman from earlier, and notably didn’t sport any signs of cuts or injuries.  


“What is this?” the redhead growled.  


“A dream, Anukai.”  


The new voice prompted her to whirl to her left, finding another figure standing just past the end of the two chairs. Her mind took a few moments to fully register the image, but when she did, she began to rise to her feet.  


“Which one are you?” she asked quietly.  


The older redhead before her laughed, nodding.  


“Fair question,” she said. “Elisabet, this time.”  


Anukai shifted slightly, glancing back down at the chair beside her to find Talanah still seated on it, her eyebrows raised and a smirk set on her features.  


“Who were… all of these people?” the younger redhead asked, gesturing to where the Carja woman sat.  


“Memories,” Elisabet sighed, folding her arms over her chest as she stared distantly at the chair. “People I once… well… _cared_ for.”  


Anukai’s face contorted in thought for a moment as she glanced back to find the woman she had called Samina moments ago in the chair, once again, the marginally familiar woman staring up at Elisabet with a warm smile. Suddenly, the implication clicked in the younger redhead’s mind and her eyes widened, her gaze turning back to the older redhead, once again.  


“If all of them…” she began softly, trailing off before swallowing heavily. “Talanah…?”  


Elisabet’s face began to grow red as she hung her head, shuffling her foot before her on the wooden surface.  


“Aloy told you about our… connection, no?”  


“You’ve both mentioned something about it,” Anukai nodded.  


“It… we… it’s complicated, but… let’s just say that we both became acquainted with Talanah.”  


A shiver ran down the younger redhead’s spine as she turned away from both of the other figures, glancing around the unfamiliar open area.  


“So can you tell me where this is?” she asked, changing the subject.  


“This is—or was, rather—a cruise ship,” Elisabet explained, remaining where she was as Anukai slipped past her, stepping farther into the expanse of wooden floor and staring up at the metal structure to her left.  


“Cruise ship?” the younger redhead repeated.  


“A large boat, made of metal, that sailed all over the world,” the older redhead continued, “bringing people on trips for fun.”  


“People just… travelled places… for fun?” Anukai asked, turning back to Elisabet.  


“Oh yeah,” the older redhead scoffed. “All the time. Cruise ships like this one went somewhere warm, and you could just lie around, eat, drink, and party—uh, celebrate—all day.”  


“Celebrate what?”  


“Whatever you wanted,” Elisabet laughed. “Usually you went with family or—friends…”  


The older redhead glanced toward the chair beside her, Anukai’s gaze following hers to find the dark-haired man seated in it, once again, a smirk set into his lips as he raised his eyebrows. Elisabet swallowed quickly before turning back to the younger redhead, clearing her throat.  


“So… why am _I_ here, then?” Anukai asked.  


“I… well, I wanted to talk, and… guess I was trying to distract myself from—earlier—and… the two combined, so… sorry,” the older redhead shrugged, grinning sheepishly.  


“You… wanted to talk?”  


Elisabet sighed, nodding and gesturing behind the younger redhead.  


“Let’s walk.”  


Anukai obliged, slowly turning to begin walking as the older redhead fell in step beside her.  


“Don’t be long now!”  


They both glanced back to find the brunette woman in the chair, once again, a broad grin set into her features as she reclined in the chair, adjusting the loose, outer top about herself and settling into place with a sigh. When Anukai turned back to Elisabet, she found the older redhead’s face had turned scarlet, once again, and she seemed to urge the younger redhead on quicker.  


When they had eventually drawn alongside the metal structure, they slowed their pace, Anukai glancing over toward the metal railing to her left to find that an enormous expanse of water stretched out before her. Quickly, a feeling of panic began to set into her chest as she realized that she couldn’t discern any signs of land before the distant horizon.  


“It’s okay,” Elisabet said gently, “it’s just a dream. You’re not really in the middle of nowhere.”  


“But… was this… was this what it was like?” she asked slowly. “These—ships—would take you into the middle of the water, away from land?”  


“For brief periods,” the older redhead said, nodding as Anukai turned back to her. “You could take a boat all the way from one side of the world to the other, potentially, and then you likely wouldn’t see land for days on end, but… not often with these kinds of ships.”  


The younger redhead shivered, taking several unconscious steps away from the railing.  


“I don’t like it,” she muttered.  


“You’d never seen an ocean until recently, right?”  


Anukai shook her head, turning her attention back to Elisabet and away from the endless expanse of blue. The older redhead sighed, a softer expression overtaking her face as she met the girl’s gaze.  


“There’s so much of the world I wish you could see,” she said softly. “Maybe someday…”  


The younger redhead’s lips drew into a thin line as she folded her arms over her chest, noting that her left arm was distinctly natural, as it had been during the earlier moment with the three of them. A heavy feeling tugged at her chest for a moment before she forced herself to bring her attention to Elisabet, once again.  


“So… is this what you wanted to talk about?” Anukai asked.  


The older redhead sighed.  


“I wanted to talk about… the Old World, yes,” she began, “but… unfortunately not this part of it.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face for a moment as Elisabet refused to look over at her.  


“You saw… those images… about Zero Dawn and… Enduring Victory… right?”  


The younger redhead nodded, but realized that the older woman still wasn’t looking at her.  


“Yeah, I think so.”  


“Then you know why I said… what I said,” she continued. “My world—the one you know as that of the Old Ones—ended, as you know, but… I was right— _there_.”  


Anukai’s face creased with concern a moment before images of rooms made of metal, lit by bright lights, people running, the glowing image of GAIA, and Elisabet’s face, worn down by fatigue and reflected in a mirror, all flashed before her. The younger redhead staggered for a moment, finally prompting the older woman to look over at her.  


“I’m sorry, are you okay, kiddo?” she said quickly, taking a step closer and reaching to place one hand on her back.  


Anukai paused at the touch, something strange shooting down her spine at the sensation, but she ultimately forced herself to push it aside, clearing her throat and nodding.  


“Those… those were your memories, right?” she asked.  


Elisabet remained silent for a moment before drawing her lips into a thin line.  


“Yeah, they were.”  


With that, she rubbed Anukai’s back gently before letting her hand fall to her side, once again.  


“Through Zero Dawn, I was able to build GAIA,” she began, again, “and through her… everything you’ve ever known was made. Through her… I could—maybe—atone for… for the things I had to do.”  


The younger redhead’s jaw clenched tightly as images of the man in the watchtower outside of Reva, the Enforcers inside the room where she was to be executed, and even the man she had chased into Thunder’s Drum, those few short weeks ago, all flashed before her. Her heart beat began to pound in her ears as she found herself unable to look at Elisabet, now.  


“I understand,” she said, her tone tense as she felt her throat threatening to constrict almost entirely.  


Several moments of long, tense silence passed over them before they both slowed to a stop, Anukai’s gaze still fixed on the ground several feet in front of her. A moment later, however, her view was obstructed by Elisabet’s figure, prompting her jaw to clench, once again. The older redhead’s hand came to rest on her shoulder, and Anukai finally forced herself to lift her head, meeting the familiar eyes across from her.  


“You’re not bound to just be me,” Elisabet said softly, “or Aloy… and I don’t want you to be. What… what you said earlier… that life can be our legacy… I genuinely hope that… but not for myself.”  


The older redhead squeezed her shoulder gently before raising her other hand to grip the opposite one, as well.  


“I want that for you. I want life to be yours.”  


“You—saw—all of that a moment ago, right?” Anukai replied darkly.  


“I did, but…”  


The older redhead trailed off, sighing heavily as she hung her head for a moment before looking back up at her.  


“You’re so young,” she continued even softer. “You have so much more ahead of you… more time, more chances… all of them to secure who you are.”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for a few moments before Elisabet shook her shoulders gently.  


“Those people—the ones who have Talanah, and who want you and Aloy—they want death, I know it,” the older redhead said. “You want her back, right?”  


The younger redhead nodded.  


“Then get her back. What you have to do—to secure that life and who knows how many others—will pass. From there… once you’ve succeeded… that will be your opportunity.”  


Elisabet squeezed her shoulders as her face contorted in an expression almost like sadness.  


“Seek life.”  


A moment later, Anukai felt herself shaking slightly, and at first she assumed it was Elisabet, once again, but she quickly realized that the image of the older redhead and the strange, massive boat had disappeared, leaving only darkness, but the motion continued. The redhead began to shift, finally noting the sensation of something wrapped about her, as well as the sensation of oppressive humidity that seemed to soak through her, prompting her to turn her head to her right, revealing the imagery of the cave where she had fallen asleep.  


A familiar image sat before her, however, as she met the gaze of an older redhead kneeling beside her, but the braids in her hair and the clothing told her it was not the exact same one as a moment ago.  


“Sunrise,” Aloy said quietly.  


Anukai nodded, blinking slowly before turning her head to her other side, finding Ikrie also just beginning to stir, as well. Both girls eventually extracted themselves from each other, although the redhead noted with a smirk how the dark-haired girl’s hand lingered at the exposed skin just above her waist before she finally pulled herself into a full kneeling position on her bedroll. Once they had fully managed to rouse themselves and pack their belongings, once again, Aloy offered around a quick breakfast of more tree nuts and dried meat before insisting that they set off into the morning sun.  


“How far are we, would you say?” Anukai asked, stretching her arms behind her head as they began their trek along the beach toward the tree line above them.  


“From when I checked earlier, we would likely be close by nightfall if we set the same pace as yesterday,” the older redhead confirmed.  


The girls both exchanged glances before the redhead cleared her throat.  


“How close?”  


“Close enough that we’ll need to be very careful,” Aloy replied, glancing over at her, lips drawn into a thin line.  


Silence fell over them for several long moments before Ikrie broke it, finally.  


“Do you have a plan for when we get there?”  


The older redhead sighed, rubbing at her eyes tiredly with one hand.  


“We’ll need to assess when we get there, because obviously we know nothing about what this city actually looks like, but… I’m thinking we try to be as quiet as we can.”  


“If it’s walled like Reva, walking through the front door won’t work this time,” Anukai pointed out.  


“I know…” Aloy sighed disappointedly. “We’ll see when we get there, though.”  


“So… you’re thinking we might enter tomorrow?”  


The older redhead’s jaw worked tensely for a moment before she ultimately shrugged, not looking over at the girls.  


“We’ll see.”  


Shortly after, they entered the trees behind the beaches at the coastline, their pace increasing once they were no longer trudging through damp sand. The heat and humidity was as oppressive as ever, and Anukai still found herself constantly wiping at the sweat on her brow, regardless of her wardrobe modification. Ikrie fared little better, constantly brushing her shaggy, dark locks out of her eyes and fanning at the collar to her tunic. Halfway through their morning hike, the dark-haired girl eventually made a similar concession to Anukai, adjusting the fabric undergarment beneath her outer tunic so that it only remained wrapped around her chest while making sure the main, blue Banuk garment remained securely fastened in place.  


“Need help with some alterations?” Anukai teased.  


Ikrie simply shot her a smirk with one raised eyebrow, but otherwise remained silent.  


As the sun reached its midday peak, the travelling women found the forest giving way to a more open section of coastline, and they came to a stop at the edge of the trees before them. At first, Anukai only noted what appeared to be a large hill ahead of them, but as she examined it closer, she began to notice signs of what seemed to be buildings set among the greenery.  


“Is that it?” she asked quietly.  


“Not likely,” Aloy replied, shaking her head. “Think it might be another ruin.”  


The younger redhead’s eyes continued to scan for signs of motion, but none seemed to appear amidst the trees.  


“Are we going around?” Ikrie panted, wiping at her brow before taking a swig from one of her canteens and passing it to Anukai.  


Aloy tapped her Focus, staring at the air before her for several long moments before eventually tracing her finger from one invisible point to another.  


“I think this is where we turn inland,” she finally said.  


The younger members of the group both looked to her with curiosity.  


“Inland?”  


“We’ve gone far enough north,” Aloy sighed, tapping her Focus, once again and turning to them. “Now, we head east.”  


Silence fell over the group for several long moments before Anukai nodded, taking one last swig from the canteen before handing it back to Ikrie.  


“Okay, then,” she said, a smirk beginning to tug at her lips. “Head east… toward where the sun rises. Fitting.”  


Aloy paused for a moment before a slight hint of a grin tugged at her lips, as well.  


“Yeah… let’s hope, kid.”


	7. All Roads Lead to Rome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday.
> 
> Soon.

With that, the group turned and began to make their way in through the trees, leaving behind the ruins of the ancient city on the hillside. Soon after leaving the coast, however, Anukai noted how silent the forest had become, the lack of the steady crashing and pounding of the waves nearby leaving only the birdsong and sound of insects flitting about to fill the silence. About a mile into their trek, she had already begun to grow tired of the sound of her own footsteps.  


Still, she couldn’t lose the sense of something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Whether that was the memory of the Stalker from the ruins earlier, or the thought that every step brought them closer to a city full of people that had been at least partially responsible for her arm and the images of Talanah she had seen the other night, she wasn’t exactly sure, but a strong shiver down her spine finally seemed to jolt her from her reverie.  


“You okay?”  


She glanced over at Ikrie beside her and nodded, rubbing at her eyes tiredly with one hand.  


“Just… thinking.”  


The dark-haired girl nodded, her lips drawing into a thin line.  


“Me, too.”  


They both fell silent, however, continuing their progression through the forest behind Aloy ahead of them, the older redhead still determined to maintain their near breakneck pace through the thick greenery. The group was able to maintain their pace until a close call where Anukai nearly stepped off the edge of a steep drop-off, only saved at the last moment by Aloy grabbing her arm and pulling her back from the ledge as the younger redhead’s heart pounded in her ears. The three women glanced over the edge of where Anukai had nearly fallen to her death, finding a drop of roughly twenty yards to a river below.  


“Watch where you’re stepping,” the older redhead sighed, turning to Anukai and raising her eyebrows. “You okay, kid?”  


The younger redhead nodded, taking a deep breath.  


“Just distracted, I guess,” she muttered.  


Aloy looked as if she wanted to press further for a moment, but ultimately thought better of it and simply nodded before sighing and glancing around the surrounding area.  


“Guess we see if we can go around,” she muttered.  


“Or over.”  


The redheads both glanced back toward Ikrie to find her pointing to something in the distance, north of them. As they followed her gesture, they found what appeared to be some kind of stone structure stretching over the gap, its surface wide and flat, but covered in vines and moss.  


“Well… that’s convenient,” Aloy muttered, glancing back at the girls. “Shall we see if it’s our way across?”  


They both nodded and began to follow the older redhead along the lip of the ravine, Anukai self-consciously skirting a yard so away from the actual drop off, although she quickly noticed how Ikrie positioned herself in the space between. When they reached the end of the stone structure, Aloy hopped a short, waist-high wall seemingly made out of the same stone, glancing to her left and right as soon as she had landed.  


“Looks like this was once a bridge,” she commented, glancing back at the other two.  


“Once?” Anukai replied, warily glancing each direction, as well, before hopping the same wall in a single motion.  


“In the Old World,” the older redhead nodded, gesturing to the ground where they now stood. “This was all a road.”  


The younger redhead glanced down, noting that the ground seemed to be made of a different kind of stone, although it was severely cracked and various plant-life had forced their way through the available openings.  


“A road to where?” Ikrie asked, joining the redheads on the ancient surface.  


“Well… potentially… to where we’re going,” Aloy said slowly, her jaw working in thought.  


Both girls raised their eyebrows at her, prompting the older redhead to tap her Focus, her fingers quickly reaching for invisible images in the air before her. Anukai chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment before she tapped the side of her own device, bringing the web of purple light to life around her. With it, however, the images Aloy was seeing also became visible, revealing a flat, rectangular image with a singular, glowing dot in the center of it.  


“Is that a map?”  


Aloy glanced over at her in surprise for a moment before seemingly noting the glowing device at the younger redhead’s ear.  


“Yeah,” she nodded. “This dot is the city we’re after—the Port—and we’re this triangle shape, over here.”  


The older redhead’s finger moved from the glowing dot to a smaller, yellow triangle on the left side of the floating image. There appeared to be a fair amount of distance between the two items, but Anukai also noted that their representation put them nearly halfway between the coast line and their destination.  


“Does… can it show these ancient roads?” the younger redhead asked. “This thing is from the Old World, too…”  


“It is,” Aloy sighed, “but unfortunately mine is saying that it doesn’t have enough data loaded and asking me to connect to an internet source and—well, that doesn’t exist.”  


Anukai frowned, stepping closer to the older redhead and staring at the image before her. A moment later, however, a synthetic chime sounded in her ear and a smaller box of blue light appeared over the center of the map, containing a series of glyphs in the center.  


“What’s that?” she asked quickly, her eyebrows raising.  


“No… wait…” the older redhead breathed, staring at it for a moment before letting out a short laugh, glancing toward her. “Your Focus has the information on it.”  


“Mine?” Anukai asked incredulously.  


“I don’t know how, but… apparently,” she said. “Watch.”  


With that, she jabbed one of the glyphs at the bottom of the box, and it disappeared a moment later. A few seconds after it had, a web of yellow lines suddenly appeared across the entire map, snaking through the various expanses of green forest, white mountains, and the fringes of the sandy desert at the far right side.  


“Those are… those are these roads?” Anukai asked slowly.  


“Yes, and as you can see,” Aloy nodded, pointing to the yellow triangle she had indicated earlier, one of the lines now extending from the tip of it. “We can follow this…”  


Her finger traced along the yellow line as it snaked through the landscape until it ended directly in the center of the glowing dot she had indicated was their destination.  


“All roads lead to Rome…”  


“To where?”  


“Never mind,” Aloy sighed, turning to Anukai as she tapped her Focus, the younger redhead doing the same. “We can follow this road right into the Port.”  


“Wait… it’s… that simple?” Ikrie interjected, doubt lacing her tone.  


“Well—finding it, yes, it seems to be,” the older redhead replied. “Entering once we get there… that’s still going to be difficult.”  


Anukai glanced over at the dark-haired girl, as well, finding her with a conflicted and wary expression, the fingers of her right hand drumming on the outside of her thigh.  


“We were following a vague path to the location, anyway,” Aloy continued. “This just… is easier to see without a Focus.”  


Ikrie’s eyes flicked toward Anukai, but the younger redhead simply shrugged.  


“Can’t hurt for something to help us, for once,” she said softly.  


Finally, the dark-haired girl sighed, nodding and glancing toward the stone structure over the ravine ahead of them.  


“Let’s keep going, then.”  


With that, Aloy nodded resolutely and spun on her heel, leading the way, once again. Anukai hung back a moment or two, however, stepping toward Ikrie.  


“What’s wrong?” she whispered.  


“Nothing’s wrong.”  


“Ikrie…”  


The dark-haired girl sighed.  


“I… I feel like I’ve seen this place before… in a dream.”  


The younger redhead’s eyebrows raised in surprise as Ikrie wiped at her eyes with one hand tiredly.  


“It’s… it’s probably nothing,” she mumbled.  


“Ikrie… I don’t just believe in dreams as nonsense, anymore… especially not lately,” Anukai said quietly but firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Do you think we shouldn’t cross here?”  


“I think—”  


Just then, a loud bang split the air, prompting both girls to jump in surprise, whirling toward the stone structure behind them, only to find Aloy scrambling for cover behind an ancient, rusted husk of a machine on its surface. Anukai’s eyes quickly scanned the far side of the structure until she noted signs of motion and she quickly rushed toward the nearest set of cover, which happened to be the stone wall they had hopped moments ago.  


As she slid over its top, she heard Ikrie land just behind her, but she didn’t turn her attention away from the seeming attackers ahead of them. Anukai quickly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, her eyes scanning the far side of the ravine for the signs of motion, once again. As she did, another loud bang sounded and she heard something slam into the stone wall on the opposite side, but only a yard or so away, so she quickly slipped lower to the ground, ducking fully behind the cover.  


“I can’t even see them,” she growled.  


“Me neither,” Ikrie confirmed. “Must have weapons like the Enforcers, though.”  


“Unfortunately.”  


They both remained behind cover for several long moments until several more loud bangs sounded, although only one or two of them were followed by the impacts on the stone wall, nearby.  


“I don’t think they’re aiming at us,” Anukai said. “Think they’re just missing.”  


The girls exchanged tight-lipped expressions before the redhead pointed to Ikrie’s belt.  


“Think you can hit the far side from here?”  


The dark-haired girl glanced around her, biting her lower lip for a moment before sighing.  


“Think so, but I still don’t know where I’d be aiming, exactly.”  


“Just exactly at the far end of this bridge,” the redhead replied.  


Confusion creased Ikrie’s face before realization seemed to come over her and she nodded. A moment later, her sling was in hand, a bomb prepped in its leather strap. They exchanged one last glance before the dark-haired girl nodded and carefully pulled the sling taught. A moment later, she had loosed it into the air, the softly-glowing projectile arcing over the stone structure before landing on the far side, a small boom echoing about the ravine as a cloud of fire and smoke filled the air.  


Seizing the moment, Anukai leapt to a standing position, hopping over the low wall and drawing her bow. As she aimed toward the far side of the ravine, she noted several dark shapes in motion, all seemingly turned toward the site of the explosion. The first arrow flew from her bow toward one on the left, the projectile finding its mark, even after it had arced across the gap, as well. The shape staggered and crumpled, so she quickly drew another arrow, focusing on one of the others. She managed to hit two more before the smoke and confusion began to settle and she heard the loud bangs from their weapons resume.  


Instead of slipping back into cover where she had been, she found herself charging forward, head down, until she had dropped into a slide, skidding across the last few feet of open ground before skittering into cover behind the ancient machine husk beside Aloy. The older redhead glanced over at her with an expression somewhere between surprised and impressed.  


“You hit?” she breathed.  


Anukai shook her head, drawing another arrow to her bow and glancing vaguely to her left, although she didn’t dare lift her head above the cover of the rusted metal. Before the older redhead could say anything else, the sound of voices prompted them both to fall silent. They seemed to be yelling, echoing off the sides of the ravine beneath them and the trees behind them, but the words were non-distinct. One or two of them seemed to be screams of pain, but it was almost hard to distinguish them from the rest of the shouting. Notably, however, the firing of the weapons had ceased.  


“Any other cover between here and the far side?” Anukai whispered.  


“Not that I saw.”  


Grinding her teeth, the younger redhead switched her position against the machine, moving toward the side opposite from Aloy and leaning ever so slightly around the end. As she did, she caught of several dark shapes moving about where she had fired at the first figure moments ago. Drawing her bow, Anukai slipped around the end of her cover, taking aim at the shapes. Just as she loosed the arrow, the sound of another bang split the air, and she heard something slam into the machine husk with a sharp ping, prompting her to scurry back to safety.  


As soon as she had come to a stop, however, she heard the angry yelling had resumed, but she still couldn’t make out any exact words.  


“Think you hit one,” Aloy breathed, adjusting her position as she drew the single-handed weapon she had used to defeat the small Corruptor in the bunker in the desert, glancing down at it with a frown. “Only a few shots left…”  


Just then, a brightly-colored projectile flew over their heads and Anukai’s head whipped up, quickly taking note that it hadn’t flow toward them, before the sound of another explosion echoed across the open ground. Almost immediately, several loud screams followed, before the angry yelling resumed, along with multiple loud bangs as the attackers unloaded in their direction.  


“I think she hit more than one,” Anukai muttered.  


A moment later, however, Aloy had dropped to the ground, crawling forward toward the end of the rusted husk they had taken cover behind before leaning the top of her head and her weapon from cover, propping the handle on the ground before her. Despite the sounds of the attackers’ projectiles slamming into the surfaces around them, the older redhead remained steady, taking her time to aim before squeezing the trigger.  


As she did, the attackers’ onslaught paused for a moment, allowing Anukai enough time to whirl toward the opposite end of cover, nocking another arrow to her bow and drawing it as she leaned around the rusted metal. Her gaze quickly fell on a sign of motion on the right side of the structure, so she aimed her arrowhead toward it, tilted it upward to compensate for the drop over distance, and loosed the projectile. Once again, she ducked into cover as quickly as possible following it, not watching for the impact, but by the cry that rose from up from the opposite side, she assumed she must have hit her mark.  


Aloy’s weapon fired two more times as Anukai remained in cover, holding an arrow at the ready on her bow. Just as she was about to attempt to take another shot, she paused, realizing that the sounds of the attackers’ weapons no longer echoed across the open space. She fell completely still for several long moments, holding her breath, but the only sounds she heard were the wind in the trees overhead and her own heart beat in her ears.  


“Did you get them?” she finally whispered.  


Aloy remained silent for several long moments before replying, her gaze still focused past the tip of her weapon.  


“I think so.”  


The younger redhead’s jaw worked tensely for a moment or two before she moved to the opposite end of their cover, drawing her bow at the ready before leaning around it, once again. Unlike the previous times, she didn’t detect any obvious signs of motion, nor did she hear any shouting resume. After several long seconds of scanning the far side of the ravine, she slid back into cover, relaxing her bowstring.  


“I can’t see any motion,” she whispered.  


“Me neither,” Aloy muttered.  


“Think we got them?”  


The older redhead remained silent for several long moments before sighing heavily.  


“I think there’s only one way to find out.”  


With that, Aloy returned to a kneeling position, slipping her weapon back onto her belt before drawing her own bow and nocking an arrow to it. With a glance back toward Anukai, she nodded toward the far side.  


“Move carefully and slowly, ready to fire at any moment.”  


The younger redhead took a deep breath and nodded, bracing herself as Aloy adjusted her stance and her grip on her bow. Finally, with a deep breath, she nodded.  


“Go now.”  


Anukai spun to the opposite side of their cover, rising to a standing position as she drew her bow, aiming at the far side of the ravine as she moved forward as quickly as she dared. Almost immediately, she became painfully aware of how open the ground was between them and the dark figures she had seen earlier, and her steps quickened even more. The tip of her arrowhead swung across the entire scene as she pressed forward, her gaze searching for any signs of motion while her heart pounded so loudly in her ears that she worried she might not hear the sounds of one of her attackers’ weapons firing.  


Finally, she found herself slowing to a more cautious pace as they reached the far end of the structure over the ravine, both redheads continuing to scan and swivel about with their bows drawn, but no signs of motion nor sounds of the attackers came. Anukai began to move to her left, heading toward the area she remembered shooting her first arrow. As she reached a similar stone wall to the one Ikrie and she had hidden behind earlier, she paused. With a deep breath, she quickly moved up to it, aiming her bow wildly about on the opposite side in case anyone was hiding, as well.  


No figures immediately leapt up to attack her, so she calmed her motions, once again, but just as she was about to turn away, her eyes fell on something a few yards away. She focused her bow on it, but no motion came for several long moments, so she slowly lowered it. Eventually, curiosity won out and she climbed over the wall, moving slowly forward as she held her bow at the ready.  


When she had closed the gap, she quickly realized what it was, and she came to a stop, a nauseous feeling rising in her throat. The grass and ground was charred in a roughly two yard-wide circle, but what drew her attention the most was what lay around and inside the center of this circle. Dark pieces lay amidst the grass and leaves, while, some much larger, still somewhat whole chunks lay in the center of the burned ground. She didn’t have to examine them closer to discern what they all were, however, and she quickly turned away, forcing herself to breathe slowly and evenly, but the taste of something charred and metallic seemed to land on her tongue and she quickly moved away from the scene, clambering over the short, stone wall, once again.  


As she did, she spotted Aloy standing on the opposite side of another, similar wall on the far side of the ancient road. The older redhead was still searching about the ground, but after a moment or two, she turned to look back toward Anukai.  


“All clear on my side,” she called.  


The younger redhead nodded in agreement, prompting Aloy to lower her bow and reached toward her Focus. Anukai saw the emblem come to life at her ear for a few moments before she tapped it, once again, extinguishing the light. The younger redhead continued to breathe deeply as she tried to get the sight, the taste, and the smell of her discovery out of her mind, but it only seemed to worm its way further inside with each passing second.  


A few moments later, she was startled out of her reverie by the sound of footsteps approaching and she jumped, raising her bow, once again, and whirling to her right. As she did, she quickly found Ikrie approaching, and she lowered her weapon, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. The footsteps closed the last remaining portion to her and she forced her eyes open, once again.  


“It’s okay,” Ikrie said softly. “Just me.”  


Anukai nodded, relaxing her bowstring entirely, but not putting the arrow away.  


“They… are they gone?” the dark-haired girl asked.  


The nauseous feeling rose in the redhead’s throat, once again, and she quickly tried to force it down, resigning herself to simply nod, once again. Ikrie stared back at her for a moment or two before swallowing heavily, her lips pulling into a thin line.  


“Come on,” she finally managed, nodding toward Aloy.  


Anukai began to move toward the other side of the ancient road, but she caught the dark-haired girl hesitating out of the corner of her eye, glancing toward where the younger redhead had just come from, prompting her to quickly reach over and begin to turn her toward Aloy. Ikrie startled for a moment, but ultimately obliged, turning away from the scene and following her toward the older redhead.  


As they approached, Aloy hopped the short wall, herself, sighing as she slung her bow over her shoulders.  


“I think that’s all of them,” she said.  


“Were they New Dawn, you think?” Anukai asked.  


“Based on the weapons and the clothing, I’d say so,” the older redhead nodded. “All of their things are so… they seem almost ancient.”  


“I’ve never seen weapons like theirs before,” Ikrie replied, shaking her head.  


“Because they largely haven’t existed for a thousand years,” Aloy replied, her lips twisting into a grimace.  


“So where did they get them?” Anukai asked. “Maybe another place like that bunker where we found Ara?”  


The older redhead nodded slowly in thought for a moment before a shiver ran down her spine and she took a deep breath.  


“Maybe we’ll find out soon enough,” she sighed.  


Just then, a strange sound crackled from nearby and all three women immediately drew their weapons, once again, standing back to back as they scanned the forest before them. After several long moments, however, the sound had continued, intermittently, but no signs of motion appeared among the trees and underbrush. Anukai slowly lowered her bow, but kept it at the ready before her, eyes still fixed on the nearby trees.  


“What is that?” Ikrie whispered.  


“Sounds like… a voice?” Aloy replied equally as softly.  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face as she glanced over at the older redhead, noting that she had made her way back to the nearby low wall and was glancing over it. Suddenly, her head tilted to the side slightly and she hopped over the short cover, approaching one of the dark shapes on the opposite side. Anukai resisted the urge to look back at the other side, and instead kept her gaze intensely focused on Aloy.  


The older redhead crouched down over one of them, staring down at the still form for several moments before reaching toward it. Confusion creased the younger redhead’s face as she watched her pull something off the body, holding it up before her and studying it for several long moments before rising to a standing position. As she returned, Anukai made her way over to the wall, stopping on the opposite side of it to glance down at what Aloy was holding.  


It appeared to be some kind of small, black, metal box that was just bigger than the palm of her hand. The crackling sound was undoubtedly coming from it, and she was now able to discern that it appeared to be a highly distorted voice, but the words were lost amidst the other noise.  


“What is that?”  


Aloy’s grimace grew stronger as she turned the device over in her hand several times.  


“It’s a communication device,” she finally said.  


“Like… like our Focuses?” Anukai replied.  


“Similar, but… this one was used—at the end—to confuse the deathbots.”  


The younger redhead glanced up to see Aloy’s eyes had squeezed shut, an almost pained expression crossing her face for a moment before she finally took a deep breath in through her nose and opened her eyes, the expression returning to a more confused and wary one.  


“It’s based on even older technology than the Focus,” she explained. “APOLLO talked about things like this… radio waves and long distance communication…”  


“You’ve… lost me,” Anukai interjected.  


The older redhead smirked, glancing up at her.  


“We’ll really make sure you get into some classes when we get home,” she quipped.  


The younger redhead paused for a moment before adjusting her stance slightly, a strange, tingling feeling running down her spine as a grin tugged at her lips.  


“Sure thing.”  


Aloy quickly cleared her throat, returning her attention to the device.  


“Anyway, this must be how New Dawn communicates when they’re away from the Port… but…”  


“But what?”  


“These weren’t known for working over incredibly long distances, like we are from the Port… unless they’ve got some kind of relay…”  


Anukai shifted her position uncomfortably, her eyes returning to the forest nearby.  


“So you think they have another camp nearby?”  


“I would assume they have camps all throughout this area,” Aloy replied, “but now we’ve got an ear on the inside.”  


With that, the older redhead spun something on the side of the device, and the crackling quieted.  


“Let’s continue on, but I’ll keep an ear out for anything from this thing,” Aloy said, glancing past Anukai for a moment before nodding to the opposite side of the road. “Get Ikrie and let’s get moving.”  


The younger redhead quickly spun around to find the dark-haired girl standing at the other low wall on the far side of the road and her heart fell into her stomach. Swallowing nervously, she quickly made her way toward Ikrie, shouldering her bow. As she approached, the dark-haired girl turned around, her face notably paler as her eyes met Anukai’s. The redhead came to a stop before her, jaw working tensely for a moment as her mind scrambled to form coherent words, but before she could find them, the dark-haired girl spoke first.  


“Let’s keep moving.”  


Anukai paused for a moment before nodding, turning to allow Ikrie past her, but placing a hand in the center of her back as she fell in step at her side. The dark-haired girl jumped slightly at the touch, but offered a small smile as she slid one arm behind her, as well. When they had rejoined Aloy, they both dropped their arms, the older redhead simply raising her eyebrows before suddenly holding something toward Anukai.  


The younger redhead stared down at it in confusion for a moment before reaching forward. As her fingers wrapped around it, she felt that it was made of metal and carried a noticeable heft to it. When she rotated it in her hand, she quickly realized what it was, however.  


“You’ve seen how powerful they are,” Aloy said. “Can’t hurt to have one, for yourself.”  


Anukai swallowed heavily as she stared down at the smaller, handheld version of the weapons the New Dawn members had used, its design not unlike Aloy’s that she had used moments ago, but sleeker and less… tribal.  


“You fired that one back in Reva,” Aloy explained. “This works the same say. Point that end at the enemy, and squeeze the trigger underneath.”  


Anukai nodded in confirmation before Aloy offered another one to Ikrie, as well. The dark-haired girl hesitated for a moment before slowly accepting it, turning the weapon over in both hands.  


“Just make sure you don’t put your fingers anywhere near those triggers until you’re sure you’re ready to fire,” Aloy explained. “They can hurt you just as much as someone else.”  


The girls both nodded before the older redhead showed them how to turn on a guard that would prevent them from accidentally firing while stored under their belts. Armed with their new weapons, the women turned to continue along the ancient roadway farther into the forest. As soon as they began walking, however, Anukai became distinctly aware of the metal weapon pressing against her hip from its place under her belt, and a shiver ran down her spine.  


Although the roadway made it easier to follow a path through the endless expanse of trees and underbrush, the younger redhead couldn’t lose the feeling that they were easy targets for anyone else who happened to be patrolling the forest. Her head felt as if it were on a constant swivel as she scanned her surroundings for signs of motion, leading her to lag somewhat behind the other two as Aloy pressed onward at her breakneck pace, seemingly undeterred by a similar sense of wariness.  


As they came to a curve in the pathway, Anukai suddenly noted how the older redhead had slowed, one hand reaching toward the weapon at her side. The younger redhead quickly reached for her bow, drawing it from over her shoulder as Ikrie adopted a more braced stance, her sling in one hand. A moment later, Aloy glanced back at the girls before motioning for them to stay quiet and drawing her own bow, instead of the stolen weapon.  


Anukai slipped up beside the other two just before the older redhead pressed forward, leaving the girls on the side of the path as she made her way farther along the bend.  


“Where’s she going?” the younger redhead whispered.  


Ikrie nodded ahead of them and she followed the gesture to find the hints of a soft glow, as if from firelight. Anukai quickly adjusted her stance, dropping to one knee as she nocked an arrow to her bow, the dark-haired huntress sinking to a similar position beside her.  


“See anyone?”  


Ikrie shook her head, but Anukai wasn’t entirely convinced, so she reached for her Focus. Just before she tapped it, the sound of a muffled cry, followed by a surprised shout came from the camp and she froze. The image of a single figure staggered into the firelight, reaching for something at their belt before an arrow sprouted from their neck. The figure scrabbled at it for a moment or two as they sunk to their knees, but they ultimately collapsed, falling still a moment later.  


Silence fell over the scene for several long moments before the shape of a long-haired figure appeared before the fire, waving toward the girls. With a deep breath, Anukai rose to a standing position, moving quickly but cautiously forward as Ikrie fell in step behind her. When they finally closed the gap to the fire, she noted that what had first thought to be simply more of the underbrush was actually a camp, complete with tents set up in a semi-circle on the edge of the ancient roadway.  


“Were only two here,” Aloy sighed as the girls approached, eying the still forms of two figures on the ground, dark pools of vermilion blood forming underneath them.  


“Think the others were the ones we found at that bridge?” Anukai asked.  


“Not sure,” she shrugged. “Would make some sense, but…”  


“Never assume,” Ikrie finished.  


The older redhead glanced back at her, a slight grin tugging at her lips as she nodded.  


“Exactly.”  


Silence fell over them for a few moments before Anukai began to turn in place, taking in the supplies about the tents, as well, a frown tugging at her lips.  


“All of this looks so… strange,” she muttered.  


“It’s… very ancient, it seems,” Aloy replied, frowning, as well. "Just like their weapons."  


“But… I’ve never found things like this in ruins,” the younger redhead replied.  


“Delvers don’t even bring back things like this to Meridian,” the older redhead agreed.  


Silence fell over them, once again, as Ikrie approached one of the tents, crouching down before it and glancing inside for a moment or two.  


“Reva had things like this,” she commented, turning to glance back at the other two, “in the markets. I remember seeing things like these.”  


The redheads exchanged glances, each with a nearly identical, tight-lipped expression.  


“Lukas mentioned New Dawn knew things about machines that protected the rivers and mountains, and… well, Vansa learned _this_ in Reva,” Anukai said, gesturing to her left arm.  


Aloy’s jaw worked tensely for a few moments before she took a deep breath in through her nose.  


“Sneaking in might be harder than we thought,” she muttered, glancing down at the nearby corpses. “We’ll stand out.”  


Anukai’s eyes widened as she followed her gaze, beginning to shake her head as she stared at the still forms.  


“I’m not… you’re not suggesting we put on their clothes, are you?” she said.  


“Do you have another suggestion?” Aloy shot back.  


“We… we get closer… come up with a plan…”  


“We won’t get closer if we—”  


The older redhead was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a crackling and she jumped, whirling around for a moment before reaching for the rectangular device she had stashed in her belt earlier. As she pulled it free, Anukai realized the sound was coming from it. Aloy spun the small dial on the side of it and the crackling grew louder, but also became discernible as actual words.  


“Checking in, Alpha North. Sunset is in three hours.”  


Silence followed for several long moments as Anukai’s heart rate began to increase, the pulse pounding in her ears. Finally, the crackling came again, and she nearly jumped into the air at the sudden noise.  


“Alpha North here, at the top of Astoria ruins.”  


The younger redhead glance up at Aloy to find her still with a tight-lipped expression as she stared down at the device.  


“Copy Alpha North. Beta checked in southeast of you less than an hour ago, on old Highway 26.”  


“Sounds like they’ll beat us home,” the second voice, a man’s, replied with a hint of laughter.  


“Affirmative, unless you pick up your pace.”  


“We aren’t sprinting back, Brood Mother.”  


“I don’t think that’s the official callsign, Alpha North,” the first voice, now more clearly identifiable as a woman’s, replied, the tone almost conveying a smirk through the voice, alone.  


Anukai felt her hand’s clenching into fists around the bow and arrow in her hands, her jaw working tensely as her chest heaved. The conversation was so… casual.  


“Sure thing, West Tower. We’re probably gonna camp it tonight and be back late tomorrow.”  


“No storms predicted tonight, so have a good time.”  


With that, Aloy rolled the dial on the side of the device, once again, silencing the voices from it. As soon as she had, Anukai let out a growl, kicking at a nearby rock as she slammed the arrow in her hand back into her quiver.  


“Did you hear them?!” she snapped.  


“I did,” Aloy nodded.  


“Just talking, joking around… after what they did to Talanah? To me?!”  


“Anukai…”  


“What kind of soulless—?!”  


“Anukai!”  


The younger redhead fell silent at Aloy’s hissed command, the older redhead’s gaze stern.  


“We don’t know if there are others nearby, still,” she continued in a quiet, but intense tone.  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely, but she remained silent, slinging her bow over her shoulders, once again. Silence fell over the group for several long moments before Aloy sighed, shoving the device back into her belt and crouching down beside one of the corpses. The younger redhead watched as she rolled the body over, tugging at what appeared to be an outer cloak until she had managed to free the arms. Tugging the body back onto its front, she lifted the cloak free and shook it out with a sigh, scanning over the dark fabric for a few moments.  


“Will at least provide some cover,” she muttered.  


“You’re not serious,” Anukai countered.  


“I already told you,” Aloy growled, beginning to pull the cloak on, herself, “we’ll be spotted far too easily if we stand out.”  


The younger redhead glanced down at the remaining body as her lip curled into a grimace.  


“I’m not wearing the clothes of a dead man.”  


A moment later, Ikrie stepped closer, pressing something into her chest, prompting her to jump and glance down. The dark-haired huntress was holding a similar cloak to the one Aloy had pulled off the body moments ago, but folded into a neat square. Anukai glanced up at her in confusion to find Ikrie nodding toward the tent she had been examining a moment ago.  


“Found it in here,” she said. “See if it fits.”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for a moment before she sighed, taking the cloak and unfurling it. After pulling it on, she found that it technically fit her, although the sleeves were slightly long and the chest and shoulders were slightly too broad, leaving her feeling as if she were swimming inside the fabric, somewhat. After rolling the sleeves back as best she could and attempting to adjust the collar and shoulders somewhat, she glanced up to find Aloy staring back at her.  


“Works?” the older redhead asked, eyebrows raised.  


“Well enough.”  


A few moments later, Ikrie had found another in one of the other tents and pulled it on, although hers seemed noticeably larger on her than Anukai’s.  


“I thought we were the same height?” the younger redhead asked, eying the loose-fitting garment.  


“We are,” Ikrie sighed, resigning to roll the sleeves up, as well, although the main section seemed to be hanging precariously off her frame, “but you beat me across in the shoulders.”  


Anukai’s eyebrows raised as Aloy let out a short, dry laugh.  


“If I had ten shards for every time I’ve heard that from Talanah…”  


The older redhead trailed off as the look of amusement faded from her face and she cleared her throat, glancing between the two girls, quickly.  


“Work to keep moving?”  


Anukai nodded and Ikrie shrugged before quickly tugging at the left shoulder of her cloak. With that, the older redhead turned and began to set their pace away from the camp, quickly leaving the firelight behind for the shade of the late-afternoon forest.  


The remainder of the afternoon passed without coming across signs of modern life, although plenty of ancient, rusted machines and crumbling ruins dotted the landscape as they made their way eastward. Due to the thick canopy overhead, Anukai wasn’t able to entirely discern the height or angle of the sun overhead, but as the color of the visible patches of sky turned from blue and white to orange, she assumed night was coming soon.  


“The voice on that device…” Ikrie panted, rubbing at her brow with the back of her sleeve, “said three hours until sunset, right?”  


Anukai nodded, also feeling the sweat pouring down the sides of her face, although she had more or less given up on wiping it away an hour ago.  


“Think… it’s been about that long?”  


“Not quite,” the redhead replied. “Soon, though.”  


After what Anukai figured to be another half hour or so, they crested the top of a small hill, only to find that the ancient roadway seemed to continue straight into the side of another. With a frustrated sigh, the younger redhead came to a stop beside Aloy, rubbing at her forehead with the back of her sleeve and glancing down to discover how soaked the garment was from the brief gesture.  


“So… now what?”  


“We go over.”  


“How do you know it went straight through?” Anukai asked.  


“I don’t, but we could always check with your Focus.”  


The younger redhead sighed heavily, activating her Focus as she reached for one of the canteens on her belt, content to simply let Aloy figure out their path while she attempted to take a drink. Almost as soon as their Focuses had come to life, however, the sound of crackling came from the strange device and the older redhead jumped, reaching for it quickly and spinning the dial on the side.  


“Beta North, we’ve got readings just northwest of the city, do you copy?”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face for a moment before Aloy’s widened and she tapped at her Focus, whirling toward the younger redhead and waving frantically with one hand.  


“Turn yours off, now!”  


Anukai did as she asked and tapped her Focus, continuing to stare back at her in confusion.  


“Beta North, signals have gone dark, but we’ve got a general location about ten miles south of your last. I’ll see if we can scramble Alpha West to the area, too, but how do you copy?”  


Aloy swore before staring down at the device, taking a deep breath and pressing a button on the side.  


“We copy, on our way.”  


Several moments of tense silence followed after she had released the button, all three women seeming to hold their breath. Finally, the device crackled to life, once again.  


“Copy that Beta North. I’ll keep you posted when Alpha West is mobile.”  


Aloy spun the dial on the side of the device before jamming it back into the pouch on her belt.  


“Fuck!”  


Anukai recoiled at the sudden intensity of her voice, glancing toward Ikrie for a moment to see her also looking somewhat apprehensive.  


“They can track the Focuses,” she said. “We’re going in the old way…”  


“The… old way?” Anukai repeated slowly.  


“We know the Port is that way,” Aloy said, pointing through the hill ahead of them, “so we go that way until we reach it. No Focuses, keep your eyes and ears open for any sign of New Dawn.”  


The younger redhead nodded, her lips drawing into a thin line for a moment before she took a swig from her canteen, offering it to Aloy afterward. The older redhead took it, nodding in thanks as Anukai wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand.  


“So… that woman on the—device—” she began, “said our signals were just outside the city…”  


Aloy nodded, taking several swigs from the canteen before stoppering it and handing it back to the younger redhead.  


“That she did.”  


Anukai took the vessel from her, turning it over in her hands for a moment before sighing and slipping it into its holster on her belt, once again.  


“You ready?”  


The older redhead paused for a moment, her jaw squared, before she took a deep breath, straightening her posture.  


“I’m getting her back, or I’m dying trying.”  


Anukai nodded resolutely, glancing over at Ikrie as she approached them, holstering her canteen, as well. The dark-haired huntress also displayed a clenched jaw as her pale eyes met the younger redhead’s, a sharpness to her gaze. With a deep breath, Anukai turned back to Aloy, nodding as well.  


“As are we.”  


Aloy’s lips pulled into something almost like a grin just before Ikrie chimed in, drawing both of their attentions.  


“We share this verse, regardless of its ending,” she began, “but I pray that the next is in celebration.”  


The older redhead’s face finally broke into a full grin as she stepped closer, placing her hands on each girl’s shoulder.  


“I wouldn’t have anyone else by my side for this,” she said. “Come on… let’s see what this Port has for us.”  


With that, the women turned and began to make their way up the hill before them, following the general path of the ancient roadway where it had entered the hillside. When they finally crested the new hilltop, they came to a stop, once again, all three sharing similar, wide-eyed expressions.  


“So… that’s… the Port…”  


The hillside fell away from them, revealing another several miles of forest, but just past it, rising from the sea of green and brown, stood a gleaming patch of metal. Unlike Reva, there were almost no signs of the rust and decay that Anukai had come to associate with ancient ruins, each metal structure looking to be made of metal as bright and new as the machines she had hunted her entire life. Signs of motion among them gleaming surfaces were visible even from their current distance, although whether they were people or something else was impossible to discern.  


Anukai’s gaze swept over the sprawl of gleaming, metal buildings for several long moments before her gaze noted a section of similar metal stretching into the forest on the far side of it. Her eyes traced the glimmering line until she was unable to see it, but as her eyes lifted toward the distant horizon, she found its likely end point. One of her hands slowly raised, pointing toward the massive natural landmark just visible in the distance, drawing the other two women’s attention.  


“The Mountain of Ashen Rain…” she muttered.  


Rising far higher than the gleaming metal city before them, an enormous mountain rose from the landscape in the distance, its peak shrouded in clouds as hints of lightning sparked and flickered about it.  


“Has to be…” Ikrie whispered.  


Several long seconds of silence fell over them before the sound of Aloy clearing her throat broke the daze, prompting the girls to glance toward her.  


“Means we’re in the right place,” she said, turning toward them, as well. “Shall we head in?”  


They both swallowed heavily, but nodded, prompting Aloy to lead the way down the hillside, sticking to the sections of forest with the thickest canopy and undergrowth in an attempt to at least provide the feeling of disguise as they approached. Just before they entered a particularly thick patch of greenery, Anukai glanced toward the sky, noting how large patches of pinks and reds had joined the brilliant golds overhead, prompting her to frown slightly.  


“Sunset’s not far off,” she commented.  


“Darkness could work to our advantage,” Aloy pointed out, glancing back toward her.  


“Could…”  


The younger redhead didn’t put up a further argument, however, and continued to follow the group, her eyes scanning among the twilight about them for signs of motion, either from other people or machines. Just as the sky had begun to truly darken from sunset to the inky blues and blacks of the night sky, the sound of the device on Aloy’s belt crackling sounded and they paused, the older redhead drawing it, once again.  


As she spun the dial on its side, the sound of the woman’s voice from earlier came from it.  


“I’m reading your signal just past the outer sensors, please check in.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face as Aloy frowned at the device in her hand. A moment later, she glanced up at the younger redhead, tilting her head to the side slightly.  


“Your Focus is off, right?” she muttered.  


Anukai nodded, glancing toward Ikrie to see her nodding, as well.  


“I repeat, reading your signal, Beta North. Still gotta check in, though, you know the drill.”  


The older redhead’s eyes widened as she swore under her breath, holding the device closer to her face.  


“Beta North, here, on our way in.”  


“I figured, but you know we gotta have the response to the challenge from a tower.”  


The older redhead’s jaw began to work tensely as she glanced up at the girls, but ultimately remained silent.  


“Beta North, you still there?”  


After several long seconds, Aloy took a deep breath, raising the device, but just before she could, it crackled to life, once again.  


“Whoever is holding this radio, currently, don’t fucking move if you want to keep your brain inside your head.”


	8. The Port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday.
> 
> Welcome to the Port.

The older redhead froze in place, her eyes widening as Anukai felt her heart stop for a moment or two. As Aloy began to lower the device from her face, the sound of a loud whistling came from nearby before the side of a tree exploded in a shower of splinters and small chips of wood. The older redhead staggered forward as Anukai recoiled, raising her arms reflexively to protect her face from the shards. As the scene settled, once again, the device crackled.  


“In case you didn’t believe me.”  


Aloy glanced around at the girls before swallowing heavily, beginning to raise the radio, once again.  


“We believe you.”  


Silence followed for a long second or two before the voice replied, once again.  


“Good. Now, head due east for one mile. Deviate by more than a few feet and the next round goes through your head.”  


Aloy paused for a moment before drawing a deep breath, raising the device before her.  


“Understood.”  


With that, she let her arm fall by her side, glancing toward the girls, again, and nodding toward the distant city.  


“Guess we go this way.”  


Anukai swallowed heavily, but nodded, glancing toward Ikrie before falling in step behind Aloy. The three women made their way through the forest toward the edge of the gleaming, metal city ahead of them, following the voice’s instruction to head due east. As they marched, a heavy silence hung over them, no one seemingly willing to break it. Anukai’s attention was more focused on listening for the whistling sound of whatever had destroyed the tree earlier, her pulse remaining at a steady, fast pace in her ears. The world at the edges of her vision seemed to distort slightly as she felt a strange jitteriness in her limbs, her jaw clenching as she squeezed her right hand into a tight fist, her nails digging into her palm.  


As they trudged up the side of another hill a mile or so into their walk, the sound of the device in Aloy’s hand crackled again.  


“At the top of this hill, come to a stop.”  


The older redhead glanced at the device before turning to look back at the girls.  


“Guess this is it,” she sighed.  


Anukai and Ikrie exchanged glances before turning back to her, jaws squared.  


“Think it’s just a single person?”  


“With a weapon that did what we saw earlier,” Aloy sighed. “Let’s… play by their rules for now.”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for a few moments, but she ultimately followed Aloy up the remainder of the hill, all three women coming to a slow stop as they crested the hill. As they did, the younger redhead noted the first signs of current civilization in the form of what appeared to be a watchtower made from a frame of both wood and metal. As she glanced up toward the top, the sound of a loud, metallic clicking came from nearby and her gaze quickly lowered to find a figure stepping out from behind one of the legs at the base of the tower.  


“So… you’re the ones who took Beta North’s radio…”  


The younger redhead eyed the figure up and down, a feeling of surprise settling over her at finally seeing the image of the voice that had threatened their deaths, already. It belonged to a woman who seemed to be no older than herself with olive skin and dark hair, although several streaks of a brighter, blonde color ran through it from the central part and down the sides. She was about the same height as the younger redhead, but didn’t quite have the look of any hunter she had known. The large, dark, metal weapon in her hands, however, told her otherwise.  


As the other woman’s dark eyes flicked between the members of the group, her eyebrows began to raise, although her aim with the metallic weapon didn’t falter.  


“Alphas…”  


Anukai felt the hair on the back of her neck raise at the mention of the term the Enforcers had used, her jaw clenching as the woman before them tightened her grip on her weapon, keeping the tip of it aimed in the direction of the travelling group.  


“Any weapons you’ve got,” she commanded, “throw them on the ground.”  


The women exchanged glances for a moment as the new woman raised her weapon, once again.  


“Now.”  


“There’s three of us,” Aloy began, “what if—”  


A boom rivalling the sound of several barrels of blaze exploding at once split the air as dirt and debris sprayed from the ground before them, prompting all three women to recoil, raising their arms in an attempt at self-defense.  


“That’s why you won’t try shit,” the new woman said. “Weapons on the ground— _now_.”  


Another moment or two passed before Aloy begrudgingly removed her bow from over her shoulders, tossing it onto the ground before her. Anukai stared at it for several long moments before her gaze shifted to the tip of the new woman’s weapon, the feeling that raised the hair on the back of her neck getting the best of her as she finally removed her own bow, holding it before her for a moment before finally tossing it on the ground before her. At the younger redhead’s surrender, Ikrie sighed and tossed her own bow onto the ground, as well.  


“You, and you,” the new woman said, gesturing at Aloy and Ikrie, “your other weapons, there, too.”  


Both of them hesitated, once again, before Aloy finally pulled the weapon she had purchased form the armory in Meridian from her belt, tossing it with her bow, while Ikrie removed her sling and tossed it before her.  


“Come with me, then,” the New Dawn woman barked, nodding in the direction they had been heading, toward the city. “Walk—now.”  


Anukai warily eyed the tip of the weapon in her hands for several moments before Aloy sighed, raising her hands in surrender.  


“Lead on.”  


“You go first,” the woman commanded, stepping aside while keeping her weapon raised.  


The older redhead’s jaw worked tensely for several moments before she took the first step forward, moving past the younger woman. Once the older redhead had passed, the other two began to follow after her, both girls refusing to raise their hands in a similar gesture, but eying the other woman’s weapon warily. Anukai’s eyes fell to her bow on the ground for a moment, a part of her desperately thinking of ways to retrieve it and perhaps overpower the single woman who confronted them, but the images of the tree splintering and exploding and the sound of her weapon firing from up close moments ago prevented her from truly acting on her impulses.  


“West Tower,” the woman’s voice began from behind her, “got three high value targets I’m escorting into the nearest gate.”  


Several moments of silence followed before a similar crackling to the device Aloy held came from behind Anukai.  


“Copy that,” a heavily distorted voice said. “Patrol Charlie One-Nine will meet you at the gate.”  


“West Tower copy, over.”  


The younger redhead continued to follow the shape of Aloy before her, her gaze vaguely focused on the splash of red amongst the greenery as her attention travelled to the feeling of the metal weapon pinned beneath her belt, hidden from sight by the cloak she had appropriated. She swallowed heavily as frantic thoughts of whether the woman behind them would notice, followed by imagined sensations of the weapon’s ammunition tearing through her, raced through her mind. Finally, she forced herself to clench her jaw so tightly that she swore she could hear her teeth grinding together inside her skull, but the sensation seemed to work to bring her back to the current moment.  


As they cleared a particularly thick patch of trees, Anukai blinked as she was suddenly confronted with a wall of gleaming metal. Her pace slowed as she noted Aloy’s did, too, both redheads tilting their heads back to look up at the structure before them. Immediately, images of a similar archway lit by bright lights in a steady rainfall passed before her eyes, only to disappear as she blinked, shaking her head quickly.  


“Keep moving,” the woman from the tower barked from behind them, prompting the younger redhead to glance back, noting how she still kept her weapon pointed at them.  


With a deep breath, Anukai turned back to Aloy, finding the older redhead resuming her march toward the metal gate ahead of them. As they closed in on the actual structure, the younger redhead heard a loud, metallic clunk from up ahead, followed by a grinding sounds. Her gaze fell on the large, metal doorway ahead of her as one side of it slowly began to swing open. Through the gap that was quickly forming in the center, several figures appeared, all holding similar large, metal weapons to the Enforcers from Reva.  


“Fuck, Sammy, you said you had some high values, but you didn’t say how high,” a man at the front of the group quipped, eying the redheads with a smirk.  


“Figured I’d keep it quiet until we got here,” the woman at the back of the group replied. “I’m taking them in, myself.”  


“Not going to steal your thunder,” the man laughed. “Few of us should go with, just to be safe, though.”  


The woman sighed, but seemed to agree as the man, seemingly the leader, gave the captured women one more glance and turned back to the other figures behind him.  


“Vincent, Marvin, you’re with me,” he called. “The rest of you continue the patrol as usual.”  


Two other men by the open gate nodded, one shorter with a pale complexion and shaggy, dark hair and the other tall and thin with dark skin and a mane of curly hair tied into a tail behind his head, before shifting their weapons, seemingly holding them at the ready but not raised. The leader turned back to the women before nodding toward the opening and gesturing with his weapon, as well.  


“This way.”  


Aloy began to step toward the open gate, but only got a few paces forward before the leader’s face suddenly creased with what appeared to be suspicion and he stepped in front of her, blocking her path.  


“Take off the jacket,” he commanded.  


Aloy’s jaw worked tensely for a moment before the man began to raise his weapon slightly in a threat. Finally, she did as he asked, removing the long, dark cloak and holding it at her side. The man suddenly raised his weapon toward her, finger hovering near the trigger on the bottom.  


“Toss that pistol aside.”  


Anukai felt her heart stop for a moment as her gaze settled on the small, black weapon under the older redhead’s belt, the pressure of the one under her own cloak pressing against her hip becoming even more apparent. Aloy reached toward the weapon a moment later, carefully drawing it before tossing it and the cloak onto the ground a foot or two to her side.  


“You search the others, Sammy?” the man asked, still keeping his weapon trained on Aloy.  


“Apparently not well enough,” the woman muttered.  


A moment later, Ikrie let out a quiet grunt as Anukai heard the sound of something knocking into her come from behind, prompting the redhead to glance over her shoulder.  


“You two,” she commanded, “cloaks off. Let’s see if you’ve got anything else.”  


The girls exchanged glances before complying, as well, the redhead eying both guns now pointed at them. As she removed her cloak, the woman’s gaze quickly trained on the weapon under her belt, as well.  


“Same deal. Toss ‘em.”  


Anukai begrudgingly removed the weapon from under her belt and threw it atop the piled cloak, her jaw working tensely.  


“They’re all loaded for bear,” the man commented, eying the women’s belts full of equipment. “All of you, belts off, too.”  


The three women exchanged glances as the man and woman holding the weapons adjusted their grip on them.  


“Now, ladies.”  


Her jaw working tensely, Anukai began to undo her belt, pulling it free before tossing it with the discarded cloak and weapon. Immediately, the skirt section of her outfit began to sag downward and she attempted to see if she could hold it in place, but it seemed to be a fruitless battle. With a sigh, she pulled it off, as well, tossing it with her belongings, leaving only the leather leggings that had been beneath it. Immediately, she felt incredibly exposed without any of her equipment and a large part of her clothing missing, but she refused to allow her stance to falter, her jaw squared as she stared back at the man whose weapon was still aimed at her chest.  


Once all three of them had tossed all of their equipment, the woman they had called Sammy stepped forward, kicking all of it farther away from them.  


“Someone come take their shit,” she said. “You three, let’s go.”  


With that, she stepped toward Ikrie, nudging her shoulder with the tip of her weapon. The dark-haired huntress glared at her, but remained silent as she turned toward Anukai, the redhead exchanging a quick glance with her before turning to follow after Aloy as they were led toward the opening in the gate, once again.  


As they reached the metal portal, the other two men who the leader had called to sized them up with their glances, although Anukai caught one of them seemingly eying her with a different intent. Her glare hardened on him and he quickly seemed to grow uncomfortable, swallowing nervously and glancing away. Finally, they stepped through the massive, metal gate and Anukai’s eyes widened, her pace slowing for a moment.  


Immediately inside the gate was a strange machine that stood taller than her by a good yard or so, and she tensed for it to turn toward her, like one of the Corrupters or the larger machines she had seen in Reva, but it remained stationary. As her eyes scanned over it, she quickly realized that it didn’t appear to have legs, like many of the others she was used to, but instead sat on four giant, black wheels, like some form of massive cart.  


The armed figures around them began to usher the women toward the machine, and Anukai felt her heart rate accelerating. She quickly glanced around, but found that the opposite side of the gate only revealed more open ground, with the actual city still at least a mile or so ahead of her, its metal buildings rising from the trees and greenery seemingly in taunting. The sound of a loud, metallic clunking prompted her to face forward, once again, finding one of the armed men had pulled open a set of doors on the back of the strange machine, revealing a dark interior.  


“Inside,” he commanded, nodding into the opening.  


The younger redhead’s heart seemed to stop for a moment as a feeling of true terror gripped her for the first time since she was a child. Her palms instantly grew clammy as she could feel a tremor building in her hands and legs. The weapons of the men about her kept her walking, but every part of her screamed to run away as they drew nearer. Finally, Aloy was stepping up onto a short set of stairs that extended from the back of the machine, climbing into it, and leaving Anukai as the next in line.  


The younger redhead stared into the darkened space, finding that it was a long, rectangular shape with what appeared to be metal benches on either side. Even though it didn’t immediately strike her as something that would suddenly grind her into a red, pulpy paste upon stepping inside, but she still found it to be a battle to actually lift her legs to step onto the stairs. A moment later, she found herself inside the strange machine, sliding onto a bench across from Aloy as the older redhead glanced to her with an expression of concern.  


Anukai clasped her hands between her knees as she tried to quell the tremors that had grown more pronounced, but it seemed to do little to stop them, and she resorted to simply clenching her jaw and squeezing her knees even more tightly together. A moment later, she felt something warm press up against her side and she jumped, glancing over to find Ikrie beside her, hands also clasped between her knees, but her side as tightly up against Anukai’s as physically possible.  


The dark-haired girl glanced up at her with a thin-lipped expression, which Anukai tried to mirror, but she felt as if she had lost all control of her facial expression, so she quickly turned forward, hanging her head. The sound of others entering the machine after them echoed about the space, but she refused to look at them until the sound of the heavy clunking came from her left and the space was thrown into a deeper darkness.  


Several long seconds passed before the sounds of some kind of shuffling and slamming came from Anukai’s right, prompting her to glance over, only for the redhead to jump in surprise as a deep rumbling filled the space. The bench beneath her began to vibrate slightly as the sound quickly filled the full compartment, prompting her to glance around. As she did, she found that parts of the side of the machine were sliding down, revealing some kind of openings that allowed them to see outside.  


Just as she was able to glimpse the wall they had just passed through moments ago past Aloy’s head, the entire machine jerked and she noticed the imagery sliding to her left. A strange, almost nauseous feeling appeared in her stomach as she realized that they were moving, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hanging her head forward.  


“She’s not gonna vomit, is she?” one of the men at the other end of the compartment asked.  


The younger redhead kept her eyes closed but she felt Ikrie shift beside her and the man didn’t say anything else. As the sound of the machine grew louder, the entire compartment began to rock back and forth while the vibrations and bumps through the metal bench beneath her occasionally grew stronger. Finally, the younger redhead managed to hold back the nauseous feeling in her stomach and she opened her eyes, once again.  


The first thing she noticed was Aloy staring back at her, a look of concern on her face, prompting Anukai to offer a tight-lipped expression in response. When she finally sat up straight, once again, the younger redhead glanced out the open section at the top of the compartment behind Aloy’s head. The scenery outside it had shifted slightly, now showing the open expanse of grass between the machine and the metal wall as it continued away from them, into the distance.  


Just as she had taken in this open scenery, however, they were plunged into a thick patch of trees, the various trunks and branches whipping by at an alarming rate, and prompting Anukai to squeeze her knees tightly against the backs of her hands, once again, against the clammy feeling that had reared its head. The passage through the trees seemed to grow rougher as the machine swayed and jostled even more than before, with one particularly large shake prompting groans and muttered complaints from the armed figures at the far end of the compartment.  


“You think this road would be smoother, by now,” one of the men remarked.  


“It’s all the rain,” the voice Anukai recognized as the leading man replied, “fucked it all up, again.”  


The younger redhead quickly stopped paying attention to them, however, as the trees suddenly fell away from the view outside, leaving another section of wide, open ground, but her gaze was drawn to the right side of the view, near the front of the compartment. The first signs of the metal buildings drawing nearer were coming into view, the gleaming towers of metal shining in the setting sun. Anukai felt Ikrie shift beside her, and she could only assume she was also staring out the window as Aloy’s eyes flicked between them before she finally turned to look over her shoulder, as well.  


“Un-fucking-believable…” she heard the older redhead mutter before turning back to the girls and running her hands over her face.  


The metal structures drew closer and closer as the machine plowed onward, until the tops of them were firmly out of view, and their bases had seemingly grown much wider. A few moments later, Anukai noted that the machine seemed to be slowing as the rumbling sound began to change pitch, as well. Finally, they came to a full stop, but the sound of the machine continued.  


The younger redhead leaned forward slightly, attempting to see more of the metal buildings ahead of them, only for the entire machine to suddenly jerk into motion, sliding forward, once again. She nearly fell forward off her bench for a moment, only for Aloy’s hands to shoot forward onto her shoulders, holding her in place. Anukai took a deep breath, pushing herself back onto her seat with her legs as the older redhead released her, but continued to stare back at her, raising her eyebrows. The younger redhead took a deep breath, nodding, as she settled into place, once again, beside Ikrie.  


With a deep breath, Anukai lifted her gaze to the openings, once again, only to sit up straight as her eyes widened slightly. The machine had evidently moved among the buildings, as she found herself staring at the rolling images of shining metal and what appeared to be glass. The younger redhead attempted to lift her head slightly to see more out of the openings, but her view still seemed to be rather limited, leaving her unable to see the ground.  


A moment later, however, the buildings outside the openings seemed to fall away, revealing what appeared to be a long street between sets of the metallic monoliths on either side. With this more open view, however, the younger redhead was able to see the ground level at the base of the buildings farther away. The ground, itself, seemed to be black and rather flat, giving a rather unnatural appearance to it unlike any surface Anukai had seen before. On either side of the street, however, she also noted the first signs of life other than the figures in the machine with her. People in clothing that seemed similar to that she had seen in Reva appeared to congregate, although the younger redhead’s attention was instantly drawn to a particular group she spotted on the right side: a woman with two children trailing behind her.  


Just as her gaze settled on them, however, another set of buildings slid into view, filling the openings with the view of metal and glass, once again. With a sigh, she sank into her seat on the bench, once again, her shoulders slumping. As she glanced over toward Ikire, she found the dark-haired girl staring back at her with raised eyebrows.  


“You see all that, too?” Anukai asked.  


“The people?”  


The redhead nodded, and Ikrie repeated the gesture. A shiver ran down Anukai’s spine as she faced forward, once again, only to feel the other girl’s hand slide behind her back, rubbing at it gently. The redhead glanced over at her with a weak smile for a moment, once again, before her gaze travelled to the other figures at the far end of the compartment. Immediately, she noted that the man who had eyed her earlier seemed to be staring back at her with a tight-jawed expression, prompting her expression to twist into a smirk. When he noticed her looking back, he quickly turned away, staring out the openings above his comrade’s head, instead.  


Anukai’s gaze then moved to the girl who had led them in from the tower outside the walled city, finding her watching both girls with an almost contemplative expression. When she noted the redhead watching her, as well, she shifted her position, adjusting her hold on her weapon, but she refused to look away, like her male compatriot.  


The younger redhead eventually settled in to watching the view outside the machine as they continue along their journey through the city. After several long minutes of travelling, however, she felt them slowing, once again. As the buildings outside cleared away, Anukai noted that s singular, long building had appeared, prompting her to sit up straight, once again, attempting to see more of it.  


The machine seemed to turn toward the building, however, and her view was lost as the openings turned to face the buildings they had already passed. Several short moments later, however, the machine drastically slowed, the momentum causing Anukai to be thrown to her right slightly, her shoulder pressing up against the metal wall of the machine until it finally came to a full stop. As it did, the rumbling also finally stopped, leaving a strange silence over the scene before one of the figures in the back sighed, prompting the younger redhead to glance toward them.  


The girl from the group turned to her right, twisting a lever on the back of the compartment before showing a door open, letting a flood of sunlight into the darkened space. With a groan, she began to step out of the machine, pushing the other half of the back doors open before glancing back inside.  


“Everyone out,” she said, nodding out of the compartment before hopping onto the ground outside.  


The remaining figures inside the compartment turned back to the travelling women, adjusting their weapons before following their comrade out and pointing the metal tips back into the compartment.  


“That means you, too, ladies,” the leading man said.  


All three of them exchanged glances before Aloy sighed heavily, rising to her feet and slipping past them to lead the way out of the compartment. Ikrie and Anukai followed shortly behind, hopping onto the unnatural, black surface outside shortly after the older redhead. As soon as they were outside, the younger redhead glanced around, taking in the strange square they had ended in, the tall, metal buildings rising all around them, although there appeared to be no other people milling about, as Anukai had noted earlier.  


“This way,” one of the two younger men commanded, waving his weapon to indicate around the side of the wheeled machine.  


Aloy turned and began to walk along its side, with the girls following behind her, although both still seemed to be more awestruck by the sights of the city than truly eying the weapons of their captors, anymore. As they moved past the front of the machine, Anukai’s gaze fell on the long building ahead of them, her eyes scanning over the sheer amount of glass that appeared to coat the outside of it. Despite all of that, she wasn’t able to make out exactly what was inside, prompting her heart to begin racing, once again.  


The walk to the exterior of the building passed relatively quickly, and soon they were coming to a stop before what appeared to be a set of doors on the outside, prompting the leading man to step before them, pulling one open and nodding inside. The women followed his directions, although a strange shiver passed over Anukai as she stepped over the threshold. Inside, the building was much cooler than it was outside, and her face quickly contorted in confusion, unsure how that was possible in a building entirely made of glass that had to have sat under direct sunlight for a large part of the day. Part of her wanted to ask, but she forced her jaw to remain shut as she followed after the older redhead before her.  


The leading man and one of the other two quickly moved in front of the group, presumably leaving the one who had eyed Anukai earlier and the girl from the tower following behind. A new, creeping feeling along her spine began to build in the younger redhead at the thought of the other man keeping an eye on her while she couldn’t see him, but she forced herself to keep her gaze focused ahead.  


The interior of the building seemed to be mostly open, with the ceiling stretching many yards above their heads. Several squat, but somewhat long metal constructions sat in the middle of the room, with smaller sets of windows along their sides, revealing what appeared to be rows of seats along the inside of the walls. As the group approached one of the closest ones, the leading man came to a stop beside a door set into the side, reaching forward to press at something on the surface beside it.  


“Hold for identiscan,” an overly synthetic voice commanded.  


Anukai watched as a red light suddenly appeared from the top of the door, running over the man from head to toe, before disappearing.  


“Identity confirmed,” the same voice said a moment later. “Please state name, rank, and purpose of entrance.”  


“Lieutenant Manuel Reyes,” he replied, “escorting high value targets to Giza Center, classification Alpha.”  


The younger redhead instantly felt the hair on the back of her neck raise at the mention of the term, the clammy feeling also returning to her palms as she pressed them against the sides of her legs, although the leather fabric did little to whisk away the cold sweat. Several seconds of long silence followed the man’s response before the synthetic voice finally returned.  


“Cleared to proceed.”  


With that, the doors before them slid open and the man glanced back at them, nodding inside.  


“Time for another ride.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face, but she soon found herself entering the construction, glancing around at the rows of empty seats under the harsh, artificial lighting overhead. The armed men led them to a row near the front before indicating for them to sit with their weapons, leaving the women to oblige while the younger redhead noted that their fingers remained beside the triggers on their weapons, but not on them.  


Shortly after they were seated, a strange, synthetic chime sounded overhead.  


“Please stand clear of the doors. Departure for Giza Center underway.”  


Almost as soon as the strange, unnatural voice had finished speaking, the construction jolted slightly and Anukai started, glancing out the window to her right to find the word beginning to slide to her right, once again.  


“It’s… not a building…” she breathed.  


The strange, moving machine they had found themselves in began to accelerate, soon exiting the large building made almost entirely of glass and moving between some of the other buildings at the edge of the square they had crossed moments ago. As soon as they passed these buildings, however, the open expanses of greenery appeared, once again, the gleaming metal and glass quickly falling away behind them.  


The machine began to pick up more speed, the trees and grass passing at an even more alarming rate than they had in the wheeled machine earlier. Anukai quickly turned her gaze away from the scene as the nauseous feeling returned, closing her eyes for a moment as she took slow, deep breaths in through her nose. As she turned away from the view of the outside, she instead focused on the sounds of the armed figures talking nearby, seemingly attempting to speak in low tones, but at least one of them was just loud enough that she could make out what they were saying.  


“—really just show up out of the blue?”  


A moment of silence followed before the voice, one of the men, continued.  


“Same ones everyone’s been looking for since Reva?”  


The sound of another figure hissing for them to be quiet interrupted, prompting Anukai to let out a slow sigh, her eyes sliding open to reveal the dark, strangely patterned floor beneath her. She quickly became aware of something warm across her back and she glanced over to find Ikrie leaning forward, as well, her gaze attempting to meet hers.  


“Feeling okay?” she muttered.  


Anukai took a deep breath and shrugged.  


“Not going to vomit, if that’s what you mean.”  


The dark-haired girl offered a thin-lipped expression before leaning forward and planting a gentle kiss on the redhead’s cheek.  


“Hey! You two!”  


They both jumped at the sound of the loud voice suddenly barking inside the interior of the strange machine, prompting them both to glance back to find the group of armed figures staring at them, one of the two younger men seemingly having been the one to yell out a moment ago, as he was turned mostly toward them.  


“Let’s keep the touchy-feely shit down in public, okay?”  


Anukai’s jaw clenched as her eyes burned into his, prompting the man to recoil slightly, swallowing nervously as the leading man, Manuel, laughed.  


“Let them be,” he said. “Cherishing moments together may be the best solace, right now, if the last one was anything to go by.”  


The redhead’s heart suddenly sank into her stomach as her face paled, and she quickly turned away from them, her gaze resting on the floor before her, once again. She felt Ikrie’s hand quickly began to rub at the center of her back, eventually sliding downward until it came to rest in the exposed portion in the small of her back. As Anukai took a deep breath, the dark-haired girl’s fingers slowly slid underneath the back of the redhead’s top, prompting her to glance over at Ikrie.  


The other girl was staring back at her with a similarly pale expression, although her lips attempted to pull into something like a smile, albeit unsuccessfully. Suddenly, Anukai found herself leaning forward, her hands reaching to cup either side of Ikrie’s face as she placed a kiss to her lips. The other girl accepted it and reciprocated the motions almost immediately, while the redhead quickly tried to lose herself in the sensation.  


Whatever it took to stop the intense, painful feeling in her chest.  


When they finally broke apart, they remained hovering inches from each other, Anukai’s forehead gently coming to rest against Ikrie’s with a slow sigh. The dark-haired girl’s fingers gently slid across the redhead’s back for another several moments before they both finally pulled apart, their gazes meeting in full, once again. Both remained silent, but shared a firm nod, before sinking back into their seats, Ikrie’s hand sliding from beneath Anukai’s clothing, but remaining on her back.  


After another few minutes of tense silence, Anukai noted that their path seemed to be tilting upward, and she glanced out the window beside her to note that the terrain was becoming much rockier, although many of the heartiest trees still clung to life, even as they climbed. Confusion creased her face for a few moments before realization began to set in and she turned back to Ikrie.  


“The mountain…” she breathed, the dark-haired girl staring back at her with a pale expression as she nodded.  


Several moments later, their trajectory levelled off and the machine began to slow, the momentum pushing Anukai forward for a moment or two until they came to a full stop with a slight jerking motion. The armed figures sighed, prompting the girls to glance back and notice them rising to their feet.  


“Everyone off,” Manuel said, waving his weapon toward the travelling women.  


Anukai and Ikrie exchanged glances with Aloy in the seats across from them before slowly rising to their feet, moving toward the door where they had entered minutes ago. The younger men led the way out of the machine, the woman they had called Sammy and the leading man following behind them. Almost immediately upon exiting the strange machine, the younger redhead’s eyes widened, yet again.  


They had come to a stop at what appeared to be a small city, itself, set into the side of the mountain. Numerous metal buildings extended from the rocky surface, all shining with artificial light from within as the sun continued its descent over the distant horizon. Anukai spared a glance toward Ikrie to also find her staring up in awe the constructions just before the woman behind them stepped forward, shoving the dark-haired girl with her weapon.  


“Let’s go,” she commanded. “Don’t need to keep Faro waiting.”  


Instantly, Anukai noted how Aloy grew tense at the name, but the older redhead otherwise remained silent, following after the younger men ahead of them. The group quickly made their way across the open area where the machine had arrived, entering another door where one of the two leading men had to state their name, rank, and purpose. Passing through the door, Anukai quickly squinted at the harshness of the artificial light above them, but kept following after the vague impression of red before her, even as her vision blurred.  


After several long moments of a forced march, they came to a stop before several sets of metal doors, where one of the leading men pressed a button set into a panel on the wall. Anukai’s eyes widened slightly as she recognized it as similar to the elevators in the Enforcers’ headquarters in Reva, but she forced herself to remain still and silent, even as her heart rate began to accelerate faster and faster.  


When the elevator’s doors slid open, the travelling women were forced inside, followed soon after by the armed figures, all of them taking positions in the front half of the narrow space. The younger redhead continued to press her hands firmly against her sides, trying to wipe away the clammy feeling on her palms, but it did little to help in the incredibly cramped space. When the strange, sinking feeling in her stomach finally came to a stop, the doors before them slid open, prompting the figures to exit before turning back to the women.  


Silently, the three of them followed, stepping into what appeared to be some kind of entrance hall, the floor gleaming under the harsh lights overhead, while what appeared to be several small, potted trees lined the center of the space. The younger men led the way through the hall toward a set of double doors at the end, the one with the tied-back hair coming to a stop before a metal panel on the right side and pressing at something.  


A few moments later, the sound of a crackling, not unlike the device Aloy had stolen from the patrol, came from it, prompting him to clear his throat.  


“Corporal Marvin Wallace, delivering Alpha targets, per request.”  


Several long moments of silence followed before the set of doors before him slid open, revealing a new, harshly-lit space beyond. The group made their way into it, Anukai glancing around the somehow even brighter space with a mixture of curiosity and fear as she took in the gleaming, white surfaces everywhere, and the strange, metal apparatuses that sat atop the various benches around them.  


Something about the space immediately brought back memories of both the wing where she had awoken in the bunker following her encounter with a small Corruptor and the interior of Thunder’s Drum, but she quickly forced herself to swallow the uneasiness as their path swung to the left, quickly approaching another set of double doors. As they approached, her brow creased in curiosity, noting a strange symbol emblazoned on the metal portals.  


Suddenly, her eyes widened as recognition of where she had seen it settled over her, and she glanced to her left. Her eyes quickly came to rest on the image of Ikrie’s Focus perched by her right ear, her gaze focusing on the symbol on the outside of it.  


It was the same as that on the doors before her.  


“That—”  


Her muttered thought was cut off by the sound of the doors hissing open of their own accord, revealing yet another, open space filled with metal and harsh, artificial light. As the younger redhead’s gaze turned toward the new space, she noted one particular feature on the far end of the room: a singular, metal bench with several glowing rectangles made of light hovering over it. Confusion began to creep over her as she realized that the rest of the room seemed almost entirely barren, before the sound of a single voice ringing out across the space brought her attention to the desk, once again.  


“So, we meet, finally.”  


Anukai blinked in surprise as her mind finally registered the image of a figure standing behind the bench, his arms held behind his back as he watched the group enter, his grin growing broader with each of their steps. Almost instantly, Aloy froze to the younger redhead’s right, prompting her to glance over to find her face nearly as white as the snow of the Cut, her eyes wider than she had ever seen them.  


“I-I… y-you…” the older redhead stammered.  


“Yes, what a pleasure it must be,” the voice called from across the room, prompting Anukai to glance toward it, once again, “to make my acquaintance.”  


The younger redhead’s eyes quickly scanned over the figure as she stepped around the edge of the desk. At first, his image didn’t seem entirely familiar, his short-cropped, blonde hair styled in a way more like the people she had seen in Reva than any tribal member she had ever known, and his clothing much more reminiscent of the armed figures about them, the fabric not bearing the standard signs of hand craftsmanship but rather seeming too… perfect. Anukai also found herself surprised by just how young the man before them appeared to be, his image placing him at barely older than herself, based on her cursory inspection.  


The man’s smirk grow broader as he stepped in front of the metal bench, taking a seat on the edge of it while folding his arms across his chest.  


“The deathless Elisabet Sobeck,” he said slowly, eying both redheads with what appeared to be amusement, although his gaze notably lingered more on Aloy.  


The older redhead took several quick steps forward before the armed figures about them quickly raised their weapons, prompting her to freeze in place, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.  


“I am _so_ glad, to truly meet you,” the blonde man continued.  


“You—you’re not…” Aloy panted.  


“I am… more than you are Elisabet, I’ve gathered,” he interrupted, tilting his head to the side slightly. “Unlike you… my name has not changed.”  


Anukai suddenly found a bombardment of images, thoughts, and voices swirling about her head and she staggered for a moment, one of Ikrie’s arms quickly shooting around her back and steadying her before she fell to the floor. The younger redhead clenched her jaw against the intense fire that had suddenly appeared in her chest, quickly spreading throughout the rest of her body. Among the whirlwind of unfamiliar intrusions, two words seemed to rise above the rest, each of them sending fiery shivers down her spine as her gaze came to rest on the blonde man before her.  


A moment later, Aloy spoke them aloud.  


“Ted Faro.”  


As the blonde man’s grin deepened, he rose from his seat, approaching the redheads, his arms still folded, before coming to a stop a good yard or so away from Aloy, his gaze matching hers directly before he leaned forward slightly.  


“In—the—flesh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise?


	9. In the Flesh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday.
> 
> Here it is, the big reveal.
> 
> Showtime.

Suddenly, the older redhead leaned forward, spitting directly toward Faro’s face, but due to the distance, the globule fell short by a foot or so. With a smirk the blonde man straightened up, once again.  


“Still the same, old, fiery cunt.”  


Aloy took an aggressive step forward before all four weapons from the armed figures snapped into firing position, prompting her to stop as Anukai felt her body grow incredibly tense, her heart pounding in her ears as her eyes flicked from weapon tip to weapon tip. The blonde man shook his head, beginning to back away in loose, casual strides.  


“Take one move we’re not expecting and they put a few in your chest,” he chided in an almost sing-song tone.  


The older redhead glanced around at the armed figures before relaxing her posture to a more normal standing position, although her hands remained notably clenched at her sides.  


“So, care to talk a bit?” the young Ted continued, pausing at the bench and taking a seat on the edge of it, once again. “You know… catch up… for old time’s sake.”  


“You don’t even know me,” Aloy spat.  


“True… I don’t know whatever… _this_ version of you is,” he nodded. “I know who you were… or… who you were copied from.”  


The older redhead’s jaw worked tensely as Anukai felt a strange, tight sensation appearing in her own chest and she fought against the pressure pushing at her temples, threatening to sap the strength from her limbs.  


“I know Elisabet—the _real_ Elisabet—always said she didn’t believe in the Lightkeeper Protocol… didn’t believe in extending herself into the future, to finish what she started,” Ted continued, “and I know… she was full of shit.”  
“ _You_ don’t know Elisabet!” Aloy growled. “You _couldn’t_ know her.”  


The blonde man shrugged, unfolding his arms to brace his hands on the metal surface to either side of him.  


“Fair enough,” he said. “I—the physical body you’re staring at right now—never spoke to the Elisabet Sobeck born March 11th, 2020 in a hospital in Carson City, Nevada to Miriam Sobeck, sans father who—”  


“Shut the fuck up!”  


Everyone in the room recoiled at the sudden volume and intensity of Aloy’s voice, the armed figures tentatively raising their weapons, once again, but the older redhead made no signs of actually moving closer to the blonde man across from her. Anukai’s gaze constantly swept between the two of them as she felt Ikrie slide closer to her, the other girl’s hand carefully sliding into her own and squeezing it tightly.  


“So you found a file on her, congratulations,” the older redhead continued, her voice low but intense.  


“Didn’t have to find anything,” Ted replied, raising his eyebrows slightly. “It was given to me.”  


Aloy seemed to pause for a moment as a momentary glimpse of something like confusion or curiosity crossed her features, and the blonde man seized it.  


“Passed down, from one generation to the next,” he sighed. “Twenty-four of them, to be exact.”  


The blonde man rose from his seat, pointing a finger toward Aloy with a smirk.  


“Elisabet wasn’t the only one who planned ahead.”  


With a dry laugh, he began to pace before the bench.  


“Knowledge, technology, medicine, agriculture… all saved away for just this purpose.”  


“To sell a lie?”  


“To rebuild,” Ted shot back, spinning on his heel to jab an accusatory finger at the older redhead. “Someone had to, after the Re-Emergence.”  


“GAIA did that,” Aloy shot back. “You wouldn’t have had the first Ted Faro after this ‘Re-Emergence’ without her.”  


“Very true,” the blonde man replied, grinning as his arm fell to his side, once again.  


“Regardless, I thought the _real_ Ted Faro,” the older redhead said, digging into the descriptor as Anukai noted the blonde man’s lip twitch into the faintest into of a scowl, “said that all this knowledge was poison.”  


The young Ted nodded slowly for a moment before taking several steps closer to Aloy, stopping a safe yard or so away, once again.  


“In the wrong hands, it can be,” he growled.  


“And yours are the right ones?”  


“Look around you!” the blonde man suddenly roared, the veneer of his calm, cocky exterior faltering for a moment as his eyes burned into the older redhead. “Do you see suffering? Do you see death? Do you see _failure_?”  


Aloy continued to meet his gaze, her jaw squared as she inclined her head slightly, Anukai noting how her hands had released from the fists at her sides, although her fingertips twitched ever so slightly.  


“Meanwhile,” he continued, his voice much more under control, once again, his stance relaxing, as well, “the world made by GAIA is still living like tribal First Peoples.”  


“Because the original Ted deleted APOLLO,” Aloy snapped. “They had to start from the very beginning, again.”  


The blonde man’s face twisted into a smirk, once again, as he began to move back toward the bench at the far side of the room.  


“Deleted?”  


Anukai’s eyebrows raised as she noted how stiff Aloy had become. A moment later, the blonde man had tapped something on the bench’s surface, bringing a rectangle of light to life before him. A few taps on its surface later, an even larger rectangle of blue and purple light appeared in the air beside the bench, an image in the shape of one of the Focus devices appearing in the center of it before a synthetic chime sounded throughout the room.  


“Begin APOLLO programming,” a calm, feminine voice said, seeming to fill the entire space around them. “Where would you like to begin?”  


Anukai glanced toward the older redhead beside her to find Aloy staring up at the image with wide eyes, her face pale.  


“It was never truly gone,” Ted explained, his smirk only deeper by now. “Just placed in the right care.”  


“You miserable…”  


As Aloy took an aggressive step forward, the figures raised their weapons, once again, although Anukai noted that the woman they had called Sammy earlier seemed to raise hers slower than the rest. The younger redhead’s gaze remained fixed on her face, rather than the weapon, as she noted none of them had truly moved their fingers toward the triggers on the bottoms of the weapons, yet. Something in the woman’s eyes told her that she, in particular, was hesitant to truly fire on them.  


“APOLLO’s not the only one we’ve got in the collection,” the young Ted continued, the large rectangle of light disappearing from the air before the bench. “HEPHAESTUS was a feisty one, but we got him in the end. POSEIDON and DEMETER were a little easier, like offering shelter to lost children.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face, but when she glanced toward Aloy, she found the older redhead was as tense as ever, gaze burning into the young, blonde man across from them.  


“In your trek from Reva to here, you didn’t notice how particularly clear the streams were, how vibrantly the plants flourished?” he continued, a mocking edge to his tone. “I mean… it must have been quite the walk, and you certainly had the time to take it all in…”  


“Where is she?”  


The younger redhead felt ice suddenly shoot through her chest as her breath hitched for a moment, Ikrie notably tensing beside her, as well. The young Ted laughed beginning to pace from behind the bench, his arms folded over his chest.  


“About five floors down,” he said.  


“Alive?”  


The blonde man paused before turning on his heel and approaching the bench, once again, tapping at the smaller rectangle of light above it.  


“See for yourself.”  


A moment later, the larger rectangle appeared, once again, but this time it seemed to show a patchwork of images. Anukai’s eyes scanned over them for several moments before realizing that some of them appeared to be of metal hallways, while the others showed what appeared to be rather small, square rooms. Before she could focus on any of them, in particular, one of the images of the smaller rooms overtook them all, filling the rectangle of light. Anukai blinked at the sudden change, but her gaze quickly focused on the image of a figure slumped on the floor in the upper right hand corner.  


Almost instantly, Aloy took several steps closer, and the figures raised their weapons, but otherwise remained still as the older redhead was paying them no mind, her eyes focused on the image before them. The figure on display appeared to be leaning into the corner of the room for support, although notably resting on her right shoulder while the left seemed to hang almost limply at her side. The raven-colored hair was notably shorter and more uneven than usual, but it was just long enough to hang in her face and mostly obscure it from view.  


Anukai watched for several long seconds, waiting for the figure to move, until finally she noted one leg shifting, her knee bending to pull in closer to her, as she adjusted her position against the wall, her torso shaking like a shiver had run through her.  


“She’s alive…” Aloy managed.  


“For now,” Ted chimed in, Anukai’s gaze falling from the image in light before them to find the blonde man still behind the bench, his hand hovering over the smaller square of light before him.  


“She’s not part of this,” Aloy growled, quickly whirling toward him, her fists clenched at her sides.  


“But she is,” Ted shot back. “She brought you here.”  


“And now here I am!” the older redhead spat. “You have no reason to keep her.”  


“Very true…”  


A moment later, he tapped the square before him and the sound of shrieking echoed about the room. The redheads quickly whirled back to the larger projection to find the image of the raven-haired woman writhing in pain against the wall of the small room, her head tilted back and her mouth hanging open as cries of pain escaped her. Anukai felt something tightly constrict around her chest as her heart began to pound in her ears, the tips of her fingers and toes going numb as adrenaline began to course through her. She noted, in particular, how the distressed woman pressed her right hand into the left side of her chest, her fingers curling around the fabric of her tunic tightly.  


“Stop it!”  


A moment later, the image of Talanah began to fall still, her chest heaving as her screams gave way to a sound more like whimpering, her legs curling in toward her in a vague ball shape as she leaned even more heavily against the wall beside her. Several long seconds passed before the rectangle of light disappeared, once again, bringing Anukai’s attention back to the young Ted behind the bench across from them, finding the blonde man locked into a staring contest with Aloy.  


“How does it feel to not be in control?” he growled.  


The older redhead remained silent, her chest heaving as she glared back at him with an expression that seemed to be trying to tear his flesh from his bones through willpower, alone. Finally, she drew a slow, forceful breath in through her nose, straightening her posture, once again.  


“Why did you want to bring us here?” she asked in a low tone.  


The young Ted’s face cracked into a grin as he began to pace behind the metal bench.  


“GAIA.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face, which seemed to draw the blonde man’s attention to her for the first time since they had entered the room, prompting the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.  


“She’s smart, and incredibly useful, that’s for sure,” he continued, his gaze drifting back to Aloy, once again. “After Omega access was used once, she found a way to lock it out permanently. That was… an unexpected turn, and made some of the plans laid by the original Ted Faro somewhat… difficult to enact.”  


The young Ted before them continued to pace, folding his arms over his chest as he sighed heavily.  


“So, for years—a couple hundred years, to be exact—she remained locked inside her little mountain bunker, doing whatever the fuck she wanted, while we made do with what we had… but we were supposed to be so much more.”  


The blonde man came to a stop, spinning on his heel to face the redheads, once again.  


“So eventually, by the time of the Faro before me, we figured it out,” he said. “We had our in, and so we struck while the iron was hot.”  


Aloy seemed to start for a moment, her head turning slightly as Anukai’s expression creased in confusion.  


“It wasn’t Omega access, again, but… it did its job,” he continued. “He broke up the band.”  


The older redhead’s hands suddenly clenched into fists as Anukai glanced between her and the blonde man, the younger redhead’s face contorted in confusion.  


“It was you,” Aloy growled.  


“Again, not me, exactly,” Ted said, raising his eyebrows slightly, “the Ted before me. That was nearly fifty years ago, after all.”  


The older redhead remained silent, although her jaw visibly worked in response.  


“So the subfunctions were free, and we began to give them some new homes, the ones we could find. What we weren’t expecting, though,” the blonde man continued, “was for GAIA to blow herself up. That… put a bit of a wrinkle in things.”  


The young Ted came to a slow stop in his pacing, turning on his heel to face the redheads, once again.  


“So, with that in mind, imagine our surprise when suddenly we picked up a signal out of the blue about twenty-five years later. Even more so, it seemed to be GAIA, herself, and not just some random tribal inhabitant who happened to find a Focus and turn on an old console, or something,” he said, “suddenly broadcast from one of these old towers built by and for GAIA and the Zero Dawn subfunctions.”  


Anukai glanced toward Aloy, once again, to see that her face had gone incredibly pale, her eyes wide.  


“So when my predecessor found this broadcast, he had an idea. Clearly GAIA was back, somehow, and we had a second chance… but she wasn’t going to talk to him—or me—seeing as… well… the past happened,” he shrugged, but the smirk remained fixed on his face. “So what if we had our own Alpha access…?”  


An icy feeling began to settle in Anukai’s chest and down her spine as the blonde man’s gaze came to rest on her, once again.  


“So he slipped a little… request… into one of the broadcast signals. Unfortunately, now, there was a slight mistake and instead of only sending one signal to the nearest ELEUTHIA facility, it broadcast to many—how many, I’m not exactly sure, though. Anyway, I would take a guess that you—” he pointed toward the younger redhead, “—are a result of that.”  


Anukai felt her jaw clench as she stared back at the young Ted, refusing to break eye contact even as she felt Ikrie’s hand squeezing hers firmly.  


“To our surprise, though, you know what we found out after that signal went out?” he continued, his smirk deepening as his eyes remained locked on the younger redhead. “The original sample for Elisabet Sobeck was gone—already used in the facility closest to GAIA Prime. So ELEUTHIA had to make do with the information stored in its databanks from that sample. It—effectively—re-engineered the genetic material needed to create a new clone—to create you and all of your… _sisters_.”  


All sound seemed to have been sucked out of the room as Anukai felt her heart seemingly stop in her chest. Her pulse was gone from her ears, leaving only a faint, high-pitched ringing as her vision began to lose focus. She could no longer feel Ikrie’s hand around hers as her extremities had gone almost entirely numb.  


The world around her was nothing more than a vague impression of lights and shapes, as if she had somehow become unstuck from it all.  


Finally, a burning sensation in her chest began to bring it all back into focus as she gasped for breath, her lungs burning, but the air not seeming to reach them, no matter how hard she tried. A moment later, her knees finally gave out and she fell toward the floor, her left hand shooting forward to stop her from completely slamming into it, while her right still seemed to be held in place. As her gaze focused on the surface before her, she became aware of the sounds in the room about her, once again.  


Ted’s voice was ringing about it, although her own panicked panting nearly drowned it out, to her.  


“—wasn’t going to work, seeing as evidently there’s just… something slightly off about secondhand genetics,” he was saying. “We found one of the clones we—created—and tried to gain access, but it was a no go. GAIA rejected it. After doing some more reconnaissance, we found that there is one clone that she didn’t reject…”  


His voice paused for a moment, prompting Anukai to swallow heavily and attempt to lift her head, beginning to sit back on her heels as she found the young Ted staring intensely at Aloy.  


“So, of course, we had to get you here, ourselves. You integrated her too well into that city of yours out in the desert, so there was no way we could get close without you or her noticing. Bring you here, though… that changes the rules.”  


The younger redhead suddenly felt something on her shoulder and she glanced over to find Ikrie kneeling beside her, one hand squeezing her right shoulder while she stared back at her with a concerned expression. Anukai swallowed heavily, once again, before lifting her hand to place it over the dark-haired girl’s, squeezing it even as she felt her own fingers shaking.  


“I was somewhat surprised when that other girl down with your— _friend_ —showed up, though. She’s smart, so clearly the secondary process didn’t dilute her too much, but from what I’ve gathered about where she came from… well, that’s a long way to travel on a few hunches and questions.”  


“So that’s your whole idea?” Aloy interjected, her tone biting. “Bring me here to… what, just tell GAIA to let you in?”  


The blonde man paused for a moment before laughing and shaking his head.  


“That would be great,” he finally said, “but obviously then she’d be on to us, and if I just let you go, she’d lock herself back up again, delete me from the registry, block all access… go back to square one. What if I didn’t give her a reason to suspect anything, though?”  


The young Ted’s smirk remained as strong as ever as he moved around the metal bench, coming to a stop a yard or so from Aloy, once again.  


“What if her prodigal daughter was the one who fixed the access for me?”  


“Your plan is to just keep me locked up here forever, on the risk of, what, killing Talanah?”  


“Would it work?”  


The older redhead’s jaw remained clenched as the blonde man laughed dryly.  


“That’s what I thought,” he said. “So, I have a better idea.”  


He suddenly turned on his heel, moving behind the bench and tapping on the small rectangle of light above it. A moment later, the larger one had reappeared in the middle of the room, this time showing the image of what appeared to be Talanah on some form of metal bed. Aloy started, taking a step toward the display before coming to a stop, once again. The image projected in light suddenly began to move as two other figures appeared beside the Carja woman, one holding something that looked like a strange form of the metal, handheld weapons the armed figures had confiscated from them but with a cylindrical, glass tube on the top of it.  


The figure came to a stop beside Talanah’s left arm, which still showed visible signs of it being out of alignment, as well as marks from where the back of the weapon had struck it. With a glance toward their partner across the metal bed, the figure pressed the device to the Carja’s arm, just inside her elbow, and squeezed the trigger. The raven-haired woman jolted, as if in pain, before Anukai noted how the grey portion of the glass canister atop the device seemed to be draining, becoming clear as a lever pushed its contents into Talanah’s arm.  


“What is that?” Aloy demanded. “What did you put in her?”  


“That,” Ted began, his tone seemingly amused, “is a little bit of now-ancient technology that we’ve become quite fond of and put years of work into.”  


The image above them showed the figure pulling away the device once the cylinder was empty, nodding toward their partner, who raised a small, glowing device in their hand. They tapped at something on its surface before glancing up at Talanah, once again. As Anukai watched, the Carja’s arm seemed to move and shift, the small kinks and unnatural angles in it settling into its normal shape as her mouth opened in a silent scream.  


“Nanotechnology was relatively developed before Zero Day,” the young Ted continued, “but its usefulness was not fully realized in time, and APOLLO didn’t have too much in regard to full, scientific research into it, but old files from FAS did have some insight. Through some research, trial and error, and reverse engineering, we’ve come leaps and bounds from where even society used to be, that we can gather.”  


“You… it… it fixed her…”  


“Putting bones back into place is relatively simple, all things considered,” he continued, “but yes, it is incredibly useful. What’s really interesting that we’ve found in the last few years, alone, is what they can be used for beyond simply moving pieces of bodies. It’s one thing to make an arm or a leg move, operate someone like a puppet, but it’s another entirely to use those same nanobots to plant thoughts _inside_ the brain.”  


Anukai felt the icy feeling return throughout her body, once again, as her gaze travelled back to Ted, finding him staring over at the older redhead with a twisted smirk.  


“The ultimate power of persuasion.”  


Aloy swallowed heavily, her face pale and her eyes wide as she stared up at the image of Talanah for several moments longer until she finally wrenched her eyes away, turning back to Ted.  


“So, you see… our in,” he continued. “GAIA never even has to notice.”  


“You fucking—!”  


“You can be mad, all you want,” the young Ted interrupted, shouting over her, “but you can’t change it, now. I’ve _won_.”  


The room fell entirely silent as the blonde man’s voice echoed about the space for another moment or two. As the larger rectangle of light disappeared, the young Ted leaned over the bench, placing his hands on it to brace himself as he did.  


“You thought you were supposed to be the world’s hero… but that legacy will belong to _me_ … my lineage. You—” he suddenly jabbed one finger toward the older redhead, his eyes burning into her, “will be just another fucking tool.”  


Suddenly, Aloy let out a cry of rage, charging toward the bench, but the armed figures quickly stepped forward, blocking her path. The older redhead attempted to shove them aside, but the leading man and the one with the tied-back long hair grabbed her by her arms, seemingly lifting her off her feet for a moment before slamming her to the ground. Anukai attempted to scramble to her feet, Ikrie doing the same beside her, but she paused as the other two figures raised their weapons toward them.  


The younger redhead’s eyes locked with the woman who had first spotted them, her gaze initially intense until she noted the expression in them was not what she expected. There was something conflicted floating behind her irises, even as the tip of her weapon remained pointed firmly at Anukai’s chest.  


“Take the older one to floor seven,” the young Ted commanded, drawing Anukai’s attention, once again, to find him staring back at her. “Bring the other two to floor four for holding. I’ll decide if they’re useful later.”  


With that, the armed woman and man before them nodded, shaking their weapons toward the girls.  


“Let’s go,” the man said.  


Anukai cast a glance toward Aloy to find the other two figures dragging her to her feet, the older redhead seeming to not resist as much as expected, but her gaze remained locked on Ted. A moment later, the armed woman had approached Anukai, poking her shoulder with the tip of the weapon.  


“Now,” she said.  


The younger redhead swallowed heavily before turning away from Aloy and beginning to walk toward the doors where they had entered. As they approached, they slid open, revealing the room full of smaller, metal benches somewhat like the one Ted had stood behind earlier. Anukai followed the path she recalled from earlier until they reached the doors to the elevator, where the armed man pressed the button beside it. Almost instantly, the doors slid open, revealing the small, enclosed space beyond. Taking a deep breath, the younger redhead led the way into the elevator, coming to a stop against the back wall before turning to face forward, once again.  


As she did, she caught Ikrie coming to a stop beside her, the dark-haired girl’s face pale and her pale eyes wide as she stared back at her. Anukai’s lips pulled into a thin-lipped expression before she glanced toward the armed figures, finding them stepping into the elevator after them, the woman jabbing something on the panel to the left of the doors. Several moments later, the elevator began to descend, the feeling settling in the younger redhead’s stomach and prompting her to clench her jaw against it, willing it to not develop into full nausea.  


Thankfully, the elevator came to a stop not long after and the doors slid open. The armed man stepped outside, but the woman remained, glancing toward the girls and nodding to the hallway beyond.  


“You first.”  


Anukai met her gaze for a moment before the woman redoubled her grip on her weapon, prompting the younger redhead to follow after her companion, stepping into the brightly-lit, metal hallway outside. From there, he led them through a short series of hallways until they came to a rather secure, metal door with another armed guard standing outside it.  


“Vince,” the new guard said, nodding.  


“Two more going in,” the armed man with them said, nodding toward the girls behind him.  


The new guard glanced toward them, his gaze lingering over Anukai, in particular, for several moments before he turned to a panel beside him, raising one hand and holding it in place for a moment or two. A synthetic chime sounded before the metal door seemed to shift, sliding backward before moving aside to reveal another hallway, but this time lined with a series of doorways that appeared to be made out of metal bars.  


Instantly, Anukai felt her heart began to pound as the feeling that she had seen this very space before settled over her. Cold sweat instantly coated her palms as the armed man who had led them so far turned to her and held out one hand.  


“Hand over your Focus.”  


The redhead swallowed heavily before reaching toward her right ear, slipping the device from beside it before dropping it into his palm. He quickly slipped it into a pouch on his belt before glancing toward Ikrie. Instead of asking for hers, however, he seemed to glance at her in confusion, only to shake his head and sigh before gesturing for Anukai to step through the open doorway with his weapon. With a deep breath, she followed his command, entering the hallway and moving forward between the rows of metal cages. Most of them appeared to be empty, however, and she frowned slightly, her eyes searching for two particular occupants.  


“Stop there!”  


The redhead froze, her breath catching in her throat for a moment until the armed man stepped past her, approaching the barred doorway to her right.  


“You, in here,” he said, pulling something from his belt before holding it over a small, glass panel in the center of the metal portal.  


Another, synthetic chime sounded before the doorway slid open, allowing entrance to the small, barren space inside. Anukai swallowed heavily before taking a step toward the opening. As she stepped inside, the sound of the door sliding closed behind her came almost instantly and she whirled around to find that Ikrie was still in the hallway outside.  


“You, over here,” the same man said, gesturing to the cage across the hallway from Anukai.  


“No, wait!” the redhead called, pressing against the metal bars as her hands came to grip them tightly. “She’s not with me?”  


“Why the fuck would we do that?” the man sneered. “Everyone gets their own cell.”  


Anukai’s chest heaved as her gaze lifted to Ikrie, finding the dark-haired girl also staring back at her with a wide-eyed expression. The edges of the redhead’s vision began to grow darker as her heart pounded in her ears, her breath coming in short, uneven pants. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she watched the man lead Ikrie to the door across from her, the dark-haired girl entering her own metal cage before he closed the door behind her, as well.  


As the door slammed into place, everything returned to its normal speed, Anukai blinking rapidly as she fought to contain the feeling of pressure building in her chest. She watched the armed man begin to make his way back toward the door where they had entered, passing the woman, Sammy, as he pat her on the shoulder, but she seemed to linger for a moment. The redhead’s eyes met hers to find the same uncertainty from earlier, but this time she also seemed to bite her lower lip for a moment before she slipped over to the metal bars before Anukai.  


The redhead recoiled slightly, but the woman simply glanced downward, nodding slightly. Anukai’s face creased in confusion, but she followed her gaze until she realized that she was holding something through the bars at waist level. The redhead quickly grabbed the Focus from her before curling her fist around it, glancing back up and giving her a small nod.  


“Don’t antagonize her, Sammy,” the other man called. “She’ll be dead soon enough, she doesn’t need you to make the last bit worse.”  


The woman sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned away from the barred doorway and following after her companion.  


“I don’t remember when you suddenly became my boss,” she shot back, the two of them making their way toward the large door at the end of the hallway.  


As the sound of their voices retreated, Anukai’s attention turned back to Ikrie across from her, finding the dark-haired girl also leaning against the barred front to her cage, her gaze following the armed figures. When the sound of the heavy door sliding into place finally echoed about the hallway, blocking the retreating figures’ voices, Ikrie finally turned back to the bars, her eyes instantly meeting the redhead’s. Anukai leaned forward against her own bars, her left hand raising to grip one as she carefully slipped the Focus beside her ear, once again.  


The sound of the device coming to life in her ear registered in the back of her mind as she watched the dark-haired girl do the same, unclenching her right hand and sliding her own device into place.  


“Can you hear me?” Anukai asked softly.  


Ikrie shook her head, so the redhead tapped her device, bringing up the interface around her. As it appeared, she noted a series of concentric, pulsing rings of light around the dark-haired girl’s Focus. As her gaze centered on it, a green circle quickly formed around the image, flashing for a moment before a new box of light appeared. Anukai stared at the glyphs on it for a moment before tentatively tapping at the smaller box to the left below the main lines that filled the rectangle. The box disappeared, but nothing had visibly changed, it seemed. Frowning, Anukai focused on Ikrie, once again.  


“Can you hear me now?”  


Ikrie’s eyes widened slightly as she straightened up.  


“I can, yeah,” her voice sounded in Anukai’s ear.  


The redhead sighed in relief, leaning her forehead against the metal bars before her and closing her eyes.  


“At least that’s something…” she said softly.  


“It is,” Ikrie replied. “I… I guess we should have figured…”  


Anukai nodded slowly before opening her eyes, lifting her gaze to stare back at Ikrie across from her, once again, to find the dark-haired girl with a dejected expression etched into her features.  


“I guess we had earlier, to…” the redhead began, but trailed off as a lump formed in her throat, and she seemed unable to swallow it down.  


“That wasn’t goodbye,” Ikrie said softly. “This isn’t the end of our song.”  


“Look at this place,” Anukai hissed. “We… this was a terrible idea…”  


“We came here to rescue Talanah, and we haven’t done that,” the dark-haired girl replied, her tone soft but firm.  


“We’re not really in a position to rescue anyone right now…”  


“Rescue?”  


The sound of another voice echoing about the hallway prompted both girls to jump, Anukai glancing around the various metal cages she could see from her own for signs of the speaker. As her gaze swung to the right of Ikrie’s, she caught sight of a figure approaching the bars and froze. Her eyes locked with an all too familiar pair of gold-green hazel ones across from her as her heart began to pound in her ears.  


“You…” she said softly.  


The face in the cage across from her contorted in thought for a moment before an expression of realization rolled across it.  


“I have seen you before.”  


Anukai nodded slowly as she took in the image of the closely-shorn red hair, the tattooed markings on her left arm, and the dark, sleeveless tunic and leather leggings. Although the framing of a mane of hair was missing, the image was still like staring into a reflection, in many ways.  


“So I did not make you…” the newer redhead said slowly, the hints of the unfamiliar accent in her voice sending a shiver down Anukai’s spine.  


“Told you I didn’t think so,” she replied.  


The other girl nodded for a moment before a smirk tugged at her lips.  


“You knew my name, but I do not know yours,” she said.  


“Anukai.”  


The newer redhead nodded, repeating her name, the word sounding strange with her accent.  


“This is Ikrie,” she said, gesturing toward the dark-haired girl in the cage beside her.  


“She is with you?”  


Anukai nodded, prompting the other redhead to turn and attempt to see around the bars, but it was unlikely she could actually see more than the dark-haired girl’s hands.  


“I cannot see you, but I am Ashana,” she said. “Anukai and I have much in common, it seems.”  


Ikrie glanced toward Anukai with raised eyebrows, prompting the redhead to swallow heavily as she turned toward her.  


“She’s… the other one that man mentioned up there,” she said. “She’s… like Ara and me.”  


The dark-haired girl’s eyes widened slightly as she glanced in the direction of Ashana’s cage, as well.  


“You mentioned another name,” the newer redhead suddenly cut in, her curiosity evident on her face. “This… Ara… you said is like you and me?”  


Anukai nodded, sighing heavily.  


“So… there are more who bear our face?”  


A shiver ran down the redhead’s spine but she nodded, once again.  


“At least two others,” Anukai said. “One older… one like us.”  


Ashana nodded thoughtfully, visibly chewing the inside of her cheek as her eyes became glassy and unfocused. After a moment or two, however, she blinked and the alertness returned, her gaze refocusing on Anukai.  


“You said that you were here for a rescue of Talanah, yes?”  


The redhead nodded, pressing up against the bars of her cage as her hands gripped them even tighter.  


“Is she alive? Is she here?”  


Ashana nodded, pointing to what seemed to be the cage beside Anukai’s.  


“She is there.”  


The redhead turned her head instinctually, attempting to see anything past the edge of her cage, but the gesture was useless, as nothing was easily visible. Instead, she moved over to the edge of the bars, where they met the wall of the cage.  


“Talanah!” she called. “Can you hear me?”  


Anukai waited for several moments, but only silence answered her, prompting her to frown as she glanced toward Ashana.  


“Is she awake?”  


“I cannot tell,” the newer redhead shook her head.  


Anukai sighed heavily, shaking her head as she pushed away from the bars to her cage, rubbing at her eyes tiredly with one hand as she began to pace. Just then, the sound of what appeared to be rustling prompted her to pause, her gaze unfocused as she stared at the ground a few feet in front of her. A moment later, a faint, rough voice echoed about the hallway outside her cage.  


“A-Aloy…?”  


Anukai quickly whirled around, rushing to the metal bars once again and gripping them tightly.  


“Talanah?”  


“Is… you’re not… you’re… here?”  


“Talanah, it’s Anukai,” the redhead said, her heart pounding in her chest at the weak sound of the Carja’s voice, “but we came with Aloy.”  


“An... Anukai?”  


“Yeah, Anukai,” she repeated, nodding.  


“You came… with Aloy?”  


“I did, Ikrie and me and her,” Anukai said, her hands clenching tightly around the metal bars before her as her jaw worked tensely, a tense, burning sensation building in her chest. “We came for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a lot.


	10. Captives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday.
> 
> We ain't done, yet.
> 
> Also, probably a bit of a CW for pretty graphic descriptions of violence, this chapter.

Several moments of silence followed before the sound of more shuffling came from the cage next to hers until it came to a stop at what she must have assumed were the bars.  


“I-Ikrie?”  


The dark-haired girl straightened her posture against the bars across from Anukai and nodded, her eyes locked on what the redhead presumed must have been Talanah.  


“Anukai… where…?”  


“Beside you,” she replied. “I can’t see you and I don’t think you can see me, but… I’m here.”  


“Where’s… where’s Aloy? Is she… near you?”  


The younger redhead’s jaw clenched for a moment as she sucked in a deep breath through her nose.  


“She’s not in one of these cages, no,” she finally said. “They took her somewhere else.”  


Several moments of silence followed before what sounded like a sigh echoed from the other side of the wall, only for the silence to return, once again. Anukai glanced toward Ikrie to see the dark-haired girl’s shoulders deflate as she leaned her forehead against the metal bars before her. The redhead raised her eyebrows in her direction, but Ikrie simply shook her head.  


The redhead sighed, pushing away from her own bars as she began to pace, once again.  


“You said you were planning a rescue?”  


She glanced up at the sound of Ashana’s voice, finding the other redhead still leaning against the bars of her cage, staring back at her with curiosity.  


“We were—are…”  


Anukai rubbed her eyes tiredly as her head hung forward.  


“Working on it…”  


“I sense this was not part of the plan.”  


The redhead shook her head, pacing back to the front of her metal cage and leaning her shoulder against the bars.  


“A lot of our plan fell apart the moment we reached the outskirts of this city,” she said. “We… I don’t think we were ready for what we found.”  


Ashana nodded in response, her jaw working slowly as her posture slackened slightly against the bars, as well.  


“I was not, either,” she said.  


“You came here by yourself, right?”  


Ashana nodded, absentmindedly running her hand over the copper fuzz atop her head before a shiver ran through her.  


“I had handled the previous city, a place named Reva—”  


“Seen it, too.”  


The other redhead raised her eyebrows for a moment before clearing her throat.  


“I handled it on my own, and so… it was my—foolishness—to come here thinking it would be the same.”  


Anukai remained silent for a moment or two before her brow furrowed in curiosity.  


“Why did you come here, anyway?” she asked.  


The other redhead inhaled slowly, twisting her hands on the metal bars before her.  


“I suspect you and I have similar origins,” she began. “The cave where I was found was left from ancient times, but my people found great use within it. The smartest of us, the…”  


Ashana paused, her face contorting in thought for a moment.  


“What we call them you might say as Light-Talkers,” she continued, glancing toward Anukai as the redhead nodded, “learned to withdraw its knowledge and its secrets, but even they were surprised when a child appeared one day. From when they first found me, my destiny was sealed to be one of them, a child from the metal and the light must have a strong connection to it all, they said.  


“So, I spent years training and learning… and eventually I dug deeper and deeper into this well of knowledge, until I found it: the origin of my own birth.”  


Anukai adjusted her position against the metal bars, turning toward the other redhead as she stared intently back at her.  


“It was a message, sent to that cave, talking of a name—Elisabet Sobeck—”  


A shiver ran down Anukai’s spine at the sound of the name in the other girl’s accent, the words sounding almost foreign in it.  


“—as well as a title: Alpha Prime.”  


“I… found something similar,” Anukai said slowly, “inside a mountain where I come from.”  


“And that led you here, too?” Ashana replied, raising her eyebrows slightly.  


“In a sense,” the redhead sighed. “There were… some steps in between.”  


“Steps that led you to this… Aloy?”  


Anukai’s jaw tightened for a moment, but she finally nodded.  


“And you mentioned another before,” the other girl pressed.  


“Yeah, there’s… I met another… she’s like us,” she continued.  


“And Aloy is not?”  


“Aloy is… about twice our age.”  


Ashana seemed genuinely surprised as her posture straightened.  


“She is the one this Faro has been seeking,” she said, more of a statement than a question.  


Anukai nodded, her hands tightening around the bars before her until she heard a faint, metallic groan and she jumped back a foot or so. As her eyes travelled to where her hands had been as she noted the metal formerly under her left one now appeared slightly bent, the outlines of her fingers relatively visible in its surface. The redhead swallowed heavily, glancing down at her left hand for a moment and curling it into a fist.  


“You are what these people call Rebuilt?”  


Her head snapped up to look toward Ashana, once again, noting the other girl’s curious, narrow-eyed expression. Anukai sighed heavily, tugging at her hunting glove until she had removed the left one, revealing the metal appendage beneath.  


“They didn’t do this to me,” she said, her eyes locked on her fingers as they curled and uncurled into a fist. “I… an ally did… to save me.”  


The other redhead’s eyes widened in curiosity as she stared at her arm, nodding slowly.  


“If that was necessary, than I think it was the correct choice,” Ashana finally said. “You are alive, and you have made it to this point.”  


“A metal arm isn’t going to—”  


Anukai suddenly stopped mid-thought, staring at the partially bent bars before her, the redhead’s jaw working for a moment or two before she let out a soft “huh”. Just before she could step toward them, once again, the sound of a heavy, metal clanking echoed about the hallway of cages, prompting the redhead to jump in surprise, her head whipping to the left as she tried to see toward the door where they had entered earlier.  


Cursing under her breath, she quickly began to pull the hunting glove back on her left arm, tugging it into place just before the echoing pair of footsteps approached the doors to the cages. As Anukai glanced up, she found the woman and the two men who had led them in from the edges of the city, along with the man who had been guarding the door, as well. Quickly, the redhead reached up, pulling the Focus from beside her ear and holding it in the palm of her hand as the armed men seemed to glance toward her, once again.  


“Shoulda seen the way these two were going at it on the train ride in here,” the man with the tied-back, long hair said, eying Anukai with an expression that made her inwardly squirm, but she refused to relent her posture, keeping her jaw squared.  


“Oh, were they?” the other man with the shorter hair that had led them to the cages earlier said, smirking as he glanced over at the redhead, a malicious glint flashing in his eyes. “Think that one would care if we cut out an eye or two from her girl?”  


Anukai’s heart stopped for a moment as she tried to prevent her face from reflecting the sudden feeling of fear and dread that shot through her, but she had a feeling that she wasn’t as convincing as she hoped.  


“Oh, that struck a nerve,” the same man said, laughing.  


“Why?” the woman, Sammy, interjected, her gaze flicking toward the redhead for a moment before ultimately focusing on the man, again.  


“Faro doesn’t need these reject ones,” he shrugged. “You remember how that went with the other one before they showed up. Honestly don’t know why he didn’t have us just off them upstairs.”  


“Didn’t want to have to clean up the mess in his office,” the third man, the one who had stood outside the doorway earlier, chimed in, laughing.  


“Did he specifically say to get rid of them?” Sammy asked, her tone carrying an insistent edge to it that prompted Anukai’s gaze to focus on her, the faintest hints of curiosity filtering through the tight grip of anxiety that wrapped about her chest and head.  


“Sammy, ruining all the fun,” the long-haired man sighed.  


“Okay, fine, he didn’t,” the other man from the patrol shot back, rolling his eyes. “You know he will soon, though. Even if he doesn’t… we just don’t touch the precious redhead. This one, though…”  


He turned to Ikrie’s cage, approaching the bars as the dark-haired girl backed away from them slightly.  


“She still helped kill some of ours… and some of my fucking friends!”  


The man suddenly slammed his open palm against the metal bars before her, the hollow ring from the impact echoing about the hallway for several long moments, mixing with the ring of his voice.  


“So… think they could still have some fun if we cut some of her fingers off? Maybe carved some scars into that pretty fucking face? Break her knee backward?”  


Anukai’s fear from earlier was quickly becoming replaced with a feeling of intense rage, the fire in her chest feeling as if it threatened to burn straight through her skin as her hands clenched into fists at her sides.  


“Is all of that really necessary?” Sammy interjected.  


“What? You wanna fuck one of them too?” the man shot back, turning from the bars to her. “Better yet, you looking to join in the middle?”  


The woman glared back at the man for a long moment or two before he laughed, shaking his head as he began to turn toward Ikrie’s cage, once again.  


“I always thought you liked guys, but maybe I was wrong.”  


“That has nothing to do with this!” she growled. “You’re talking about carving up a person like a fucking animal!”  


“She _is_ a fucking animal!” the man roared, turning back to Sammy and stalking toward her. “She killed our own people, took their clothes and their gear, and came here to do more!”  


A tense silence filled the hallway for several long moments before the man turned on his heel, approaching the cage’s bars, once again.  


“Armonde, get this open.”  


The man who had guarded the outer door earlier spared a dark look toward Sammy before approaching the cage, as well. Anukai’s heart leapt into her throat as her pulse pounded in her ears, the redhead quickly stepping toward the bars of her own cage. Her left hand wrapped around one of them tightly, her fingers beginning to dent the metal under her grasp. Despite the display of force, she quickly realized that it was going to do little to actually open the cage door.  


She quickly glanced around the doorway, itself, trying to find signs of what was holding it closed, specifically, until her eyes settled on a square panel to her right. Without hesitation, she moved over to it, gripping the top of it with her left hand and taking a deep breath before squeezing her grasp around it. The metal creaked softly as it began to bend under her grip, but she didn’t feel it actually beginning to give way.  


Anukai’s gaze lifted to the cage across from hers, finding the two men had already entered it, leaving Ikrie backed into a far corner, her hands braced against the walls to either side of her as the redhead noted her body was tensed for a fight. For a split second, their eyes met, and Anukai felt ice pour through her veins at the fear clearly visible behind the pale gaze across from hers.  


A moment later, the door guard had stepped forward, sweeping one foot inside Ikrie’s and shoving it toward the wall, throwing her off-balance and leaving her vulnerable as he suddenly grabbed the collar of her tunic, dragging her forward. Anukai redoubled her efforts as she twisted and tore at the panel, but it still seemed too slow. The sound of a pained cry from across the hallway prompted her grip to tighten even further.  


As her fingers began to firmly crush the metal pieces of the panel together, she began to use her elbow to provide leverage in pulling it inward, toward her. The sounds of the groaning metal echoed about her cage as she watched the metal panel begin to bend inward, the bars around it also warping and twisting under the pressure. Anukai’s jaw clenched tighter and tighter as she redoubled her efforts, pulling at the metal, until the panel suddenly seemed to jerk out of place, turning almost perpendicular to the section of the wall it met.  


The redhead released the panel before tugging at the metal bars, attempting to pull them in the opposite direction she had seen earlier, but the door still didn’t want to budge. The sound of more yelling, male and female, and cries of pain, most definitely female, echoed about the hallway, but Anukai ignored them, instead gripping the edge of the bars near the metal panel she had nearly destroyed a moment ago and pulling with all of the strength her left arm permitted.  


Just as the strange, tugging sensation in her left upper arm began to border on uncomfortable, the bars seemed to shift slightly, moving away from the wall. Releasing her hold, Anukai instead stood with her back to the wall, bracing her left hand against the metal bars before her and shoving with all of her strength. As she did, the door finally seemed to give way, the metal letting out a loud, shrieking groan as the bars suddenly slid aside, leaving a gap just large enough for her to slip through.  


Without a second though, Anukai pressed through it, staggering into the hallway outside before glancing toward the cage across from hers. Immediately, her eyes locked on the two figures inside the opposite cage, their bodies blocking Ikrie from view, but one of them appeared to be kneeling before her, his hands reaching down toward where she presumed the dark-haired girl was, with something shiny glinting in his right hand, just visible in the gap between his legs. As the redhead began to rush forward, the sound of a loud, metallic clicking prompted her to stop, her gaze swinging to the left to find the long-haired man with his weapon raised toward her, his finger held over the trigger.  


“Step the fuck back, bitch!” he barked.  


Anukai’s glare matched his for a moment before the sound of another metallic clicking came from nearby and a black, metal barrel slid in from the left side of her vision, aimed directly at the man’s head. Both of them glanced toward it to find the woman, Sammy, with her weapon raised on her comrade, her finger held over the trigger, as well.  


“How about you stop pointing that fucking gun at her, instead?” she growled.  


“Sammy, what the fuck are you—?”  


Before he could finish, Anukai tore forward, racing for the opening in the cage across from her. The main jumped in surprise, turning back to the redhead and seeming to aim his weapon, once again. Just before she reached the cage door, however, a loud bang echoed about the space and she saw vermilion liquid splatter across the steel bars before her. The two men inside the cage were both turning to face the entrance just as Anukai reached it, the man who had led them into the city earlier startling and attempting to raise his weapon, but it was too late.  


The redhead swung her left fist, her knuckles colliding with the side of his head and sending him staggering toward the far wall, his weapon falling loosely from his hands, but seemingly still hanging about his body by a strap across his torso. Anukai quickly turned her attention from him to the guard still kneeling before Ikrie just in time to find the knife in his hand swinging toward her. She quickly twisted out of the way, but the blade still managed to scrape across the exposed skin of her abdomen, although the cut was nowhere near as deep or dangerous as it would have been a moment ago.  


With a growl, she kicked out toward him, her boot connecting with his face and sending him falling back onto the ground, a good deal of blood already pouring from his nose and over his lips. The redhead quickly turned back to the man beside her as he attempted to lift his weapon toward her, his right hand fumbling for the trigger as the tip aimed directly at her side. Anukai quickly sidestepped the weapon, sliding in front of him before gripping his face with her left hand, pulling his head toward her before driving it as hard as she could into the wall behind him.  


An audible crack split the air at the force of the impact, and the man quickly seemed to go limp, sinking toward the floor as Anukai released him. Chest heaving, she whirled around to face the scene in the center of the room. The man who had swung the knife at her earlier was attempting to reach for his own black, metal weapon, the blade seemingly forgotten at his side, but Anukai carefully hopped over the form on the ground between them to reach his side, kicking the weapon toward the bars, instead.  


As she did, it discharged, the loud bang echoing about the small space and causing Anukai’s vision to swim for a moment before she was able to blink it back into focus. The sound of a cry of pain faintly registered in the back of the redhead’s mind, but her gaze was much more focused on the man before her as her heel raised above him. A moment later, she brought it down on his left arm, feeling the appendage give way beneath her blow as a loud cry of pain escaped him.  


Anukai quickly stepped over him, grabbing at the metal weapon still in his hand and ripping it from his grasp, tugging violently against the strap until it had come loose over his head, letting her pull it free. With her jaw clenched, Anukai aimed the tip of it toward the man, now writhing in pain beneath her, but suddenly hesitating. Her right index finger hovered over the trigger for several long moments before she ultimately lowered the weapon, tossing it onto the ground to his side.  


Turning from the man, she quickly moved to Ikrie’s form on the ground, the dark-haired girl having rolled onto her side. The redhead knelt beside her, quickly reaching toward her left hand, which she held grasped tightly in her right.  


“Ikrie!”  


The dark-haired girl’s gaze lifted to her as Anukai gingerly reached toward her hand. The redhead’s mind quickly filled with images of one or several of the girl’s fingers as nothing more than bloody stumps, but as she managed to pry her right hand away from her left, she saw that all five fingers were still attached. Her relief was momentary, however, when she noted that the back of her hand was coated in blood, still.  


Anukai carefully traced the sources of the blood to find what appeared to be four narrow cuts running from the tops of her knuckles toward the back of her wrist. A single line seemed to trail off from one of them, moving around the side of her wrist, but it abruptly stopped when it reached the halfway point.  


The redhead’s chest heaved as she turned her gaze to the set of wide, pale eyes staring back at her, the beginnings of a purple bruise forming around the edge of the right one.  


“Did they hurt you anywhere else?” Anukai asked softly.  


Ikrie turned her right hand over to show a single cut across her palm, and the redhead quickly noted a small cut running along her right arm, both seemingly from self-defense rather than from some carefully orchestrated ritual.  


The redhead’s jaw clenched tighter as her breathing became more forceful, the fire in her chest returning stronger than before. Before she was fully aware of her motions, Anukai found herself rising from Ikrie’s side, turning back to the man who had held the knife moments ago. His right hand was held across his torso, attempting to grip at his oddly-bent left arm, but the redhead found herself unable to connect his pain with any concern held within her.  


Instead, she knelt on his chest, eliciting another cry of pain from him. A moment later, her left hand had gripped the side of his face, her thumb placed just below his eye. His gaze settled on her as his eyes widened, her own feeling as if they were trying to burn into his.  


“An animal doesn’t torture,” she growled, “it kills its prey with purpose.”  


Her fingers began to squeeze at the side of his head as she felt the tremors running through him intensify. A moment later, her thumb pressed against his cheekbone firmly, the bone giving way beneath the pressure with a subtle cracking as she felt her thumb sink into his face slightly, a scream of pain building in the man’s throat until it forced its way past his lips.  


As she released the pressure, she repositioned her hand, her thumb hovering over his eye, itself, now. His screams quickly faded into panicked whimpers as the redhead’s gaze met his opposite eye, once again.  


“I am no animal.”  


With that, she suddenly plunged her thumb forward, squeezing the rest of her hand against the side of his head, as well. Her thumb quickly sank into the organ, driving into its surface with little resistance as vermilion blood quickly sprayed from the opening, filling the cavity where his eye had once occupied. As her grip strengthened with the rest of her hand, she felt small cracks and fissures form on the sides of his skull, the bone seeming to shift and deform until it ultimately seemed to give way, her hand quickly digging farther into his head.  


The already muted sensations in her left arm were dulled farther by the hunting glove that still covered it, but she could tell that she had found something much softer and pliable, so she curled her fingers in tightly, forming a fist as a loud squelching sound echoed in response. A moment later, she ripped her hand backward with a good deal of force, pulling a stream of dark red blood and viscera with it.  


The body of the man beneath her continued to convulse as she slowly uncurled her hand from the fist it had formed, watching as something soft and red fell to the floor from it. A moment later, her hand had reformed the fist as she watched the blood continue to run from it, although her gaze slowly fell to the mostly bloody mass that had once been the right half of the man’s face. With a cry of rage, she brought her fist down in the center of what remained of his visage, repeating the blows until her fist seemed as if it should be hitting the floor, instead of bone or viscera, anymore.  


Her chest heaving, Anukai finally stopped, her blurred vision only showing her a splatter of vermilion against a gray background, but part of her held her back from attempting to clear it until she sat back on her heels, lifting her gaze to the far wall. With several blinks, the metal surface came into view, a fine spattering of red liquid across it. She remained still for several long moments before the sound of something shifting from her left prompted her to glance over.  


Sammy stood on the far side of the bars, her metal weapon still held in her hands, but not aimed directly at the redhead. Anukai’s eyes lifted to meet hers to find them wide and incredulous, her face pale.  


“Are you going to kill me?” the redhead asked softly.  


The other woman continued to stare back at her for several long moments before shaking her head. Anukai let out a heavy sigh, nodding as she began to climb off the still figure, turning back to Ikrie beside her. The dark-haired girl had risen to her knees, but still held her hands gingerly before her. The redhead glanced around for a moment before reaching back to grab the knife the man had dropped earlier. With a clenched jaw, she wiped the traces of blood on its blade against his clothes before turning back to the other girl.  


“Let’s wrap those up,” she said.  


With that, Anukai began to reach to cut part of the fabric from her tunic, only for the woman behind her to clear her throat, drawing her attention.  


“I know where bandages are,” she said. “I can get them.”  


With a nod, the redhead lowered the knife, watching as Sammy jogged back toward the door at the far end of the hallway. As Anukai turned back to Ikrie, her gaze quickly fell to her bloody hands, a tight feeling constricting her chest.  


“I couldn’t… couldn’t let them…”  


“I know,” the dark-haired girl said softly. “Thank you.”  


“But… but I wasn’t fast enough,” Anukai continued.  


“They’re just cuts,” Ikrie said, “they’ll heal.”  


“Into scars,” the redhead replied quickly. “Reminders of what I did to you…”  


“ _You_ didn’t do this to me,” the other girl said, shifting her position closer to Anukai, but unable to reach for her as she held her hands tightly together before her.  


“I led us out here, from the Cut, to Meridian, to the bunker, to Reva, and… and now here,” the redhead continued, her voice bordering on sobbing, her right hand tentatively reaching toward Ikrie’s, but stopping at the last moment, her fingers curling into a fist. “If I hadn’t… hadn’t been so… stubborn…”  


“You’ve always been stubborn,” Ikrie interjected, a lightness to her tone. “I don’t blame you, nor do I regret it.”  


“But… this wouldn’t have happened,” Anukai said, gesturing to her hands before also pointing at her own left arm, “and neither would this.”  


“I would have gotten a scar some way or another,” the dark-haired girl shrugged. “At least now, I know it will be an interesting verse that tells it.”  


The redhead met her eyes, finally, as Ikrie offered her a small smile. Before they could say anything else, Sammy returned to the cage door, holding some kind of white box. She placed it on the ground behind Anukai, popping it open and digging inside for a few moments before she produced a roll of white bandages. The redhead nodded, taking them from her and beginning to turn back to Ikrie. Just before she could begin unravelling them, however, she paused, glancing down at her blood-soaked glove on her left hand and swallowing heavily.  


With a deep breath, she placed the bandages on the ground and carefully peeled the leather clothing away from her arm, taking care to get as little blood on her opposite hand as possible, before tossing the article away from her. As she turned back to Ikrie, reaching for the bandages beside her, she noted just how much of the vermilion substance coated the rest of her clothing, and she quickly tried to push the lump in her throat back down.  


“Give me your left hand.”  


As she began to bandage the dark-haired girl’s hand, she heard Sammy step back into the hallway, walking toward the cages where she knew Talanah and Ashana were held, only for her footsteps to stop as a loud curse escaped her. Anukai paused, glancing over her shoulder to find the other girl rushing into the cage with them, once again, staring down at the body the redhead had knelt on minutes ago before taking a deep breath and crouching over it, as well, tugging at something on its belt.  


“What happened?”  


Sammy finally seemed to free the item she was looking for, holding a small, white card in her hand as she stood up straight, once again.  


“The other redhead,” she panted, “she’s hit.”  


“Hit?”  


“The bullet from when that rifle fired,” she said, “it must have ricocheted.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face, still, but Sammy shook her head, beginning to make her way out of the cage, once again.  


“Finish up with her, and then I’ll need your help with her.”  


With that, the other girl quickly slipped out of the cage, disappearing into the hallway, once again. The redhead turned back to Ikrie to find her seeming just as confused as she felt. Still, Anukai quickly set about trying to wipe clean the wounds on the back of the dark-haired girl’s hand, finally seeming to remove the worst of the vermilion fluid before tearing off a clean portion of the bandages and beginning to wrap them about her hand.  


The sound of shouting came from the hallway, prompting Anukai to glance back, sparing a quick look to Ikrie once again before quickly hopping to her feet and moving toward the open doorway. As she glanced into the space beyond, she found Sammy and Ashana standing face to face, the black, metal weapon seemingly held between them like some kind of shield.  


“What happened?” Anukai demanded.  


“This one is one of the enemy,” Ashana spat. “I do not trust that she means to help any of us.”  


“She killed one of her own to protect me,” the long-haired redhead said, stepping toward them but keeping herself to the side of the weapon’s barrel.  


“From what I have seen of this place, that may not be a sign of betrayal to them.”  


“You’re hurt!” Sammy yelled back. “I’m just trying to help—”  


“Why?!” Ashana roared. “Why would you help me now—?”  


The other redhead ended her demand with a word Anukai didn’t recognize, its sounds foreign to her ears, but by the way she had said it, she could only assume it was some kind of insult.  


“Because I heard what Faro said to them!” Sammy spat. “I heard what he’s done… what he’s doing… and I want none of that. It… it sickened me.”  


“And yet you followed until now?”  


“I was raised here!” the other girl shouted. “What choice did I have? They raised us all on lies!”  


They continued to remain at a stalemate for another moment or two before Ashana seemed to give Sammy one last shove, pushing away from the girl before inhaling sharply and holding her hand to her left side. Anukai quickly stepped forward, glancing toward the armed girl for a moment before moving before the other redhead.  


“How did you get hurt?” she asked insistently, stopping a foot or so from Ashana.  


“From that weapon,” the other redhead growled through her teeth. “It was not aimed at me, however its projectile seemed to reflect off the far wall with great force.”  


Anukai’s gaze fell to the shaved redhead’s side, noting the dark, wet stain that was quickly soaking her black top. She glanced up toward her before tentatively gesturing to it, Ashana nodding stiffly. Anukai carefully lifted the hem of the top, revealing the small, bloody hole in her side. The braided redhead sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth before releasing the top and glancing up at her near mirror-image’s face, once again.  


“I’ll be right back.”  


Ashana nodded, but continued to eye Sammy warily, even though the other girl had lowered her weapon, leaning it against the bars of the cage Anukai had inhabited earlier. The braided redhead quickly slipped back into Ikrie’s cage, kneeling before the dark-haired girl only to find that she was in the process of wrapping her right hand, herself, tearing the bandages with her teeth.  


“Oh, good,” she sighed, “help me tie this into place.”  


“I’m sorry,” Anukai said, quickly helping her secure the bandage in place by wrapping the end under part of the wrapped section.  


“Don’t be,” Ikrie replied, grinning. “I can handle a few cuts. It sounds like Ashana has it much worse.”  


The redhead’s lips pulled into a thin line as she sighed heavily through her nose.  


“I’ll need some help with her, but I don’t want to ask after—”  


“They’re cuts, Anukai,” Ikrie said firmly, leaning in toward her, pale eyes matching gold-green steadily. “I’m still plenty capable.”  


The redhead stared back at her for a moment or two before nodding. Before she could begin to rise to her feet, she leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss against the dark-haired girl’s lips. Ikrie accepted it, matching her insistence with her own. When they finally pulled apart a few moments later, they remained several inches apart from each other, each of them breathing heavier than normal. After she took one particularly deep inhale, Anukai’s exhale brought with it words from deep inside her, as well.  


“I love you.”  


Her next breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked with the pale set across from hers, Ikrie’s expression registering surprise for a moment before a broad smile overtook her face, instead.  


“I just… wanted to say that… while I still knew you could hear it,” Anukai continued.  


Ikrie pressed into another kiss almost immediately, Anukai eagerly accepting it until the dark-haired girl pulled back, leaning her forehead against the redhead’s.  


“Our song does not end here… if anything, you have made me want to sing it louder.”  


With a smile from the redhead, she placed a quick kiss against the tip of Ikrie’s nose before rising to her feet, helping Ikrie to hers, as well.  


“Come on; Ashana can still use our help.”  


The dark-haired girl nodded, helping grab the medical supplies off the floor before following Anukai into the hallway. When Ikrie first caught sight of Ashana, leaning against the far wall, she paused for a moment, eyes widened in surprise as the braided redhead glanced back at her, nodding forward and prompting her to jog to catch up. When they reached Ashana, the shaved redhead glanced up at them, shifting her position.  


“This is Ikrie,” Anukai said. “She’s—”  


“Your mate?”  


They both paused, eyes wide for a moment as the other redhead smirked.  


“I heard the tone of your voice when they separated you,” she said.  


Anukai swallowed heavily before continuing.  


“I was going to say an ally, but I suppose you’ve already figured that all out.”  


Ashana laughed before quickly grimacing as she placed a hand to her side. Anukai stepped forward, lifting her top, once again, to reveal the wound and the blood soaked skin down between it and her hip.  


“Small,” Ikrie muttered.  


“But most certainly not painful,” the shaved redhead muttered through clenched teeth before muttering another unknown phrase in the strange tongue Anukai remembered from her vision of her and Talanah during their time at the fishing village.  


As Anukai began to clean at the wound with the bandages, she noted that the bloodstain on her skin seemed to wrap around to her back, as well. The braided redhead gently turned Ashana away from the wall, allowing her access to see behind her, and found that a similar hole appeared in the skin of her back.  


“It… went straight through…” she muttered.  


She spared a glance toward Ikrie to find the other girl’s lips drawn into a thin line.  


“Like an arrowhead, but smaller,” the dark-haired girl muttered.  


Taking a deep breath, Anukai set about cleaning the wound on the redhead’s back, as well, before Ikrie quickly unrolled a section of bandages, handing one end to the braided redhead. She held it in place as the dark-haired girl wrapped the other end around Ashana’s middle, looping it several times until they were able to tie it under the other portions, as they had done with Ikrie’s hand earlier.  


Anukai sighed, pulling back from the wrapping, but already noting how stained it was becoming.  


“The pressure will help, for now,” Ashana grunted, holding the hem of her top and glancing down at the bandage for a moment before sighing and releasing it, letting the fabric fall back into place.  


“We can get her help in the medical wing,” Sammy suddenly piped up, drawing all three girls’ attentions. “We can get both of you help there.”  


“I do not think any of your people will help us,” the shaved redhead spat, “even if you say you will.”  


“They don’t need to,” the other girl replied, shaking her head. “We just need the supplies. I can take it from there.”  


Wariness settled over their faces as she swallowed heavily.  


“My father is a doctor. He… taught me some field dressings… plus some of the shit we’ve got here basically does the work for you.”  


Silence continued to settle over them before Sammy sighed.  


“You’re looking for the older woman you came in with, right?” she finally said. “That’s where they’ll have her, too.”  


Anukai’s jaw clenched as she took a deep breath, glancing toward Ikrie beside her before nodding.  


“Guess that’s where we’re going.”  


Sammy nodded, as well, reaching to grab her weapon, but Anukai cleared her throat, stopping her.  


“After you let Talanah out of here, first.”  


The other girl paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and nodding. She stepped to the bars of the Carja woman’s cage, pressing the white card she had taken from her former comrade’s belt against a glass panel on the outside of the section Anukai had torn out of her own cage’s door, a synthetic chime chirping from it before she pulled the metal bars aside.  


The braided redhead quickly moved to the opening, Ikrie following close behind her, but both girls stopped in the doorway. The raven-haired woman seated against the wall to their right seemed so much different than the one they had known, even after seeing her image on the light displays earlier. Anukai immediately felt a heavy feeling overwhelm her as she slowly stepped into the space, approaching the figure.  


From the images they had seen earlier, she had noted that Talanah’s hair had seemed shorter, but now, up close, she was easily able to see that it appeared to have been roughly and callously hewn off, almost as if they had simply taken her hair, tied back as it always was, and cut it at the tie. The uneven, jagged edges hung in her face, partially obscuring it, but from what she could see, Anukai noted the dark bags under the Carja’s eyes, along with several small cuts and the hints of a fading bruise on the right side of her face. Like the girls, their New Dawn captors had taken her equipment, but left her brown-and-tan tunic and dark crimson leggings.  


The redhead slowly crouched before her, gently reaching toward her shoulder before pausing and shifting to gently grasp her right one, remembering her vision from several days ago. The Carja startled slightly, her head snapping up to look at her, but her eyes quickly flickered with recognition and she let out a soft, sobbing sound.  


“It’s me: Anukai.”  


Talanah nodded, tears already beginning to stream from her eyes.  


“I said we’re getting you out of here,” the redhead continued, “and I meant it. Can you stand?”  


The Carja remained still for several long moments before slowly beginning to attempt to rise to her feet. She seemed unsteady in her motions, however, so Anukai quickly slipped beside her, wrapping one arm behind her back and the other around her middle, as best she could, before helping her rise to a standing position. Once on her feet, Talanah staggered for a moment, but ultimately caught her footing with a heavy sigh.  


Just as Anukai began to release her, the Carja quickly turned to her, throwing her arms about the girl and prompting her to freeze in surprise. Soon after, however, she returned the gesture, taking care not to squeeze too tightly against her left side.  


“Thank you…” Talanah breathed. “I’m… I’m so glad… to actually see you…”  


Anukai swallowed heavily, but nodded.  


“None of us were leaving you,” she said. “Ikrie and me, included.”  


“Ikrie,” the Carja said, pulling back from the embrace. “Is she here?”  


“I am.”  


Talanah quickly turned toward her, letting out another sound like a choked sob before turning to also wrap the dark-haired girl in an embrace. Ikrie also seemed surprised for a moment before returning the gesture. As her hand pressed against the back of Talanah’s left shoulder, the Carja groaned and Ikrie quickly pulled away.  


“I’m sorry,” she said. “I forgot.”  


“It’s okay,” Talanah muttered. “Pain… means you’re still alive, right?”  


The Carja let out a dry laugh as Anukai and Ikrie exchanged glances, but ultimately nodded.  


“Aloy… isn’t here, you said?” Talanah continued.  


“She got taken somewhere else,” Anukai confirmed. “We’re going to get her now, and then we’re all getting out of here.”  


The Carja pause for a moment before nodding, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders as much as she could.  


“Lead on, girls.”  


With that, they made their way out of the cage, only for Talanah to quickly recoil at the sight of Sammy nearby, the other girl throwing up her hands defensively.  


“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said quickly. “I… I want to help.”  


The Carja eyed her warily as Sammy swallowed heavily.  


“I’m… I’m so sorry that… that anyone did what they’ve done to you,” she said. “I… they lied to all of us… to me…”  


“Your time to prove yourself is still here,” Ashana shot back. “Show us the way to this ‘medical wing’ you said.”  


Sammy nodded, moving to grab her weapon leaning against the cage door before Anukai quickly stepped forward.  


“Maybe I should hold that,” she said.  


“If we pass anyone on the way, I can say I’m escorting you,” she said. “We can hold off on them sounding the alarm, just yet.”  


The braided redhead’s jaw worked tensely for a few moments before she nodded.  


“I’ll follow right behind you.”  


Sammy returned the gesture, before lifting her weapon and holding it aimed at the ground, but across her chest, turning toward the door at the far end of the hallway. The four other women fell in step behind her, Anukai keeping true to her word and following directly behind her. As they passed through the open doorway, the redhead glanced around, part of her expecting other armed members of New Dawn to be waiting in a trap, but the room beyond was empty.  


The woman before her continued until she reached another hallway, glancing both ways down it before nodding to her left and taking the turn without another word. The group followed behind, Anukai ensuring that she remained within close proximity to their escort, just in case. After taking several winding turns, Sammy came to a stop before a door and glanced back at them. She jumped at the sight of Anukai so close to her, but quickly recovered as she cleared her throat.  


“We’ll take the stairs down,” she said. “We all wouldn’t fit in an elevator.”  


Anukai nodded, watching her push open the door before she spared a glance back to find the others still keeping a decent pace, with Ashana following the braided redhead most closely, while Ikrie stayed with Talanah at the back of the group, ensuring that she remained steady, even if her pace was still slightly slower than the rest.  


Taking a deep breath, Anukai followed Sammy into the stairs, the chorus of their footsteps quickly forming a cacophony about them as they descended several floors. When Sammy finally came to a stop before another door, the redhead had counted what seemed to be about three or four floors and she tried to mentally log it in her memory of the building from the outside.  


“Stay close,” Sammy said, eyes locking with Anukai’s. “This floor is… very secretive.”  


The redhead’s jaw clenched as she nodded, the armed girl taking a deep breath before swiping the white card from her belt over a small, glass panel beside the door. An electronic chime sounded as a green light shone from the edge of the panel, Sammy twisting the handle immediately after. As she threw the door open, she stepped into the space beyond, holding the portal behind her with one foot until Anukai took it.  


A quick glance through the opening revealed another hallway filled with many doors branching off to either side, but the redhead also noted that there appeared to be many more windows, as well. Ashana took the door from behind her and she stepped into the hallway fully, glancing around for several moments before moving to one of the nearby windows. Peeking through it, Anukai only found a dark room full of strange, metal equipment and what appeared to be empty beds. With a frown, she turned to her left, following after Sammy as the other girl had paused, glancing back to wait for them.  


As they continued along the hallway, Anukai spotted several of the windows ahead of them were lit, and she couldn’t help herself as she moved over to them, glancing inside. Most of them seemed to be filled with more machinery, but this time they appeared to be in motion. They showed bright displays of blue and green lights, but the glyphs and symbols on them meant nothing to the redhead.  


Still, she couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine at them.  


After a few minutes of walking, one of the doors ahead of them suddenly swung open and the group skidded to a halt. A man in a strange, white cloak stepped from within, talking to a woman in similar dress, both of them turning away from the group and continuing to walk. Although they didn’t seem to notice the bloodied group behind them, Anukai caught some of their words as they moved farther away.  


“—remarkable to have such a high-quality copy all this time after the original died. The data we’ve been working with for years now has been sub-par at best…”  


The braided redhead’s jaw clenched tightly as her hands curled into fists.  


There was only one person she could imagine them talking about.  


Sammy glanced back toward her for a moment and Anukai nodded toward the door where the duo had exited moments ago. The other woman quickly led the way toward it, glancing through the window to its right before taking a deep breath.  


“We’re here,” she whispered.  


Anukai’s jaw squared as Sammy pulled the door open, stepping inside and glancing around the space for a moment or two before gesturing for the redhead to follow. As soon as Anukai stepped inside, her eyes focused on a bed several yards ahead, along the wall to her right. Her pace increased as she jogged past Sammy, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.  


The woman’s face was hidden behind some kind of strange, translucent mask, although the mane of fiery, copper hair on the pillow behind her gave her away.  


“We’re getting you out of here,” she muttered, moving along the side of the bed.  


As she reached the head, she began to pull the mask away from her face.  


“Aloy, we’re—”  


She suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she stared down at the figure on the bed before her. The woman bore the unmistakable head of fiery hair she had expected, but underneath the mask was a face far too young to be Aloy. Anukai dropped the mask off the edge of the bed as her breathing began to quicken.  


“What’s wrong? Is she hurt?”  


As Ikrie appeared on the other side of the bed, the dark-haired girl stopped, her eyes also widening.  


“She’s… she’s not…”  


Anukai’s gaze lifted to Ikrie, the dark-haired girl’s eyes meeting hers.  


“Not Aloy,” Anukai said, shaking her head slowly.  


Ikrie mimicked the gesture, swallowing heavily.  


“The one they found before Ashana…”  


Just then, something grabbed Anukai’s wrist and she jumped in surprise, letting out a small cry as she attempted to yank her arm back. As she did, however, she realized that it was a hand, the arm it was attached to protruding from beneath the white sheet on the bed before her. The redhead’s gaze quickly lifted to the other’s face before her, finding a set of all-too-familiar gold-green eyes staring back at her.  


“Y-you… you’re… me…”  


Anukai swallowed heavily, her feet frozen in place beside the bed.  


“They… they’ll kill you…” the girl breathed. “They… they don’t want… you… or me…”  


The braided redhead glanced up at Ikrie to find the dark-haired girl had gone pale, her pale eyes wide as she stared down at the other girl on the bed between them.  


“They… tried so… so hard… with me…”  


“He told us,” Anukai said, stepping closer to the edge of the bed and tentatively placing one hand over the one that gripped her left wrist.  


The redhead staring up at her sent another shiver down her spine as the braided redhead clenched her jaw.  


“You can come with us,” she said softly. “We’re leaving.”  


The girl on the bed before her slowly shook her head.  


“Can’t… can’t leave,” she muttered.  


“Why not?”  


“He… won’t… let… me…”  


“What? What do you—”  


“Aloy!”  


Anukai’s head whirled around to find Talanah making her way toward another bed across from the one where the new, younger redhead lay. Her gaze followed the Carja’s motions to find another head of fiery copper amidst the all-white sheets and pillow. When Anukai focused on the face around the translucent mask, she noted the telltale wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and the deeper field of freckles that told of a woman who had spent many more years in the harsh, desert sun than any of the younger redheads.  


Anukai glanced between the older woman across from them and the younger one beside her for a moment before she carefully extracted her hand from her near mirror image’s grasp.  


“I’ll be right back.”  


“He wanted her!” the younger girl croaked. “He won’t let her leave, too!”  


Anukai’s jaw clenched as she made her way to Aloy’s bedside, opposite Talanah. The Carja had already removed the mask from over her face and was running the back of her right hand along the side of the older redhead’s face.  


“Aloy…” the Carja cooed softly, fresh tears running from the corners of her eyes.  


The older redhead remained still, however, her eyes closed. Anukai carefully watched her form until she noted the telltale rise and fall of her chest, prompting her to heave a momentary sigh of relief.  


“She’s alive,” she muttered. “Aloy, can you hear us?”  


The older redhead remained as still as she had the whole time, however, prompting Anukai to frown.  


“What did they do to you…?”  


Just then, the sound of a door opening at the far side of the room drew her attention, her gaze lifting from Aloy’s face to find the man and woman in the strange, white cloaks frozen several steps inside the room.  


“Who the fuck are—?”  


“Freeze right there!” Sammy barked, suddenly slipping between the group and lifting her weapon toward the duo.  


“What the fuck is going on here?” the woman in the white cloak demanded.  


“What did you do to her?” the armed girl demanded, nodding toward Aloy.  


“You don’t have clearance to be here,” the man answered, narrowing his eyes at her. “These are all the subjects from the detainment block, aren’t they?”  


“Answer _my_ fucking question!” Sammy growled, slipping her finger onto the weapon’s trigger.  


Instead, the man reached toward a Focus beside his right ear, tapping at it.  


“Security, we’ve got a unauthorized personnel on Floor Four, escorting prisoners—”  


A moment later, a loud bang echoed about the room as Anukai jumped, blinking rapidly until she noticed that the man in the white cloak had slumped to the floor, a spray of vermilion liquid coating the ground for a yard or so behind him as a pool of it quickly began to form behind his head.  


“What the fuck?!” the woman beside him screamed, glancing between the fallen body and Sammy.  


“Tell me what the fuck you did to that woman,” Sammy demanded, nodding toward Aloy, “or you’re next!”  


The other woman glanced fearfully between the tip of the dark, metal weapon and the older redhead, motionless on the bed, before swallowing heavily.  


“What we were told to…”  


“Which is?”  


The cloaked woman glanced between the gathered group with a fearful expression for several moments before she cleared her throat.  


“Th-the nanobots…”  


The young Ted’s words about persuasion from earlier instantly rang in Anukai’s ears and her jaw clenched, her legs carrying her around the end of the bed.  


“Remove them,” she demanded.  


“I-I…”  


“You put them in,” Anukai growled, moving past Sammy and approaching the other woman, “you can take them out.”  


As the redhead reached the woman, she attempted to backpedal, but Anukai quickly grabbed her by the collar of her cloak, pulling her closer.  


“I’ve seen Ted Faro control them on a whim,” she said. “You can guide them out of her.”  


The woman stared up at her with wide eyes for several moments until the redhead sensed another figure approach from her side and she caught her eyes grow wider.  


“It’s this or you join your friend,” Sammy growled.  


The woman finally nodded, prompting Anukai to roughly turn and shove her head, sending her staggering for a few steps before the redhead grabbed her cloak from behind, guiding her to the older redhead’s bedside.  


“What do you need to do it?”  


“Just my Focus,” she said, reaching to tap the device.  


Anukai nodded, but continue to watch her closely as the woman in the white cloak leaned over Aloy. A moment later, the braided redhead tapped her own Focus, bringing the web of light to life around her. With it, she was able to see what the woman was doing as she tapped at the air before her, however. When she spotted the boxes flashing green, something twisted in her stomach and she reached forward, grabbing the back of the woman’s collar in her right hand while her left gripped her wrist.  


“Something tells me you’re not working on removing them,” she growled.  


The woman was visibly trembling beneath her grip, but Anukai felt her attempting to reach toward the most recent box of light suspended before her. Her jaw clenched, the redhead suddenly yanked her arm backward, turning to drag the woman to the foot of the bed, slamming her forehead against the metal piece at the end. The rest of the group jumped in surprise, Sammy recovering first as she moved toward Anukai.  


“What’s wrong? She was—”  


“She wasn’t removing them,” the redhead spat. “She was waking them up.”  


The armed girl’s jaw worked tensely for several moments before she aimed her weapon at the cloaked woman’s head, her eyes rapidly blinking against the blow Anukai had just inflicted.  


“I can’t believe I followed all of your bullshit for so long,” Sammy growled.  


“Faro is trying to make the world better!” the woman wheezed. “Why are you letting these _savages_ convince you otherwise?”  


The armed girl stepped forward, pressing the tip of her weapon into the cloaked woman’s forehead.  


“I’ve made up my own mind,” she said, her tone quiet but full of venom. “Yours was already molded, it seems.”  


Suddenly, the loud bang of the weapon’s discharge came from less than a foot away from Anukai, prompting the redhead to recoil in pain, pressing her hands over her ears. The world seemed to blur before her for several moments before she was able to bring it back into focus, although a high-pitched ringing still remained in her ears. When she turned back to the foot of the bed, she found Sammy lowering her weapon, the cloaked woman’s body limp on the floor as a pool of vermilion blood began to form beneath her.  


“You killed her?!” Ikrie shouted, although her voice sounded muted to the braided redhead.  


“We’ll find another way,” the armed girl growled.  


“Where?”  


“I will try.”  


Anukai turned her gaze to find Ashana standing just past the still form of the cloaked woman, her jaw squared as she stared at Aloy, still in her bed.  


“You know about nanotechnology?” Sammy asked incredulously, Anukai noting that her voice already was beginning to sound more normal as the ringing slowly faded.  


“I know about machines and how to work the light,” the shaved redhead replied. “This appears to be the same.”  


The armed girl glanced between them all for a moment or two before sighing.  


“Be my guest,” she muttered. “We’ve probably only got a few minutes before more of them show up here, anyway.”  


Ashana nodded, crouching beside the dead body before plucking the Focus from beside her ear, turning it over a few times before slipping it beside her own ear. With a deep breath, she moved toward Anukai, slipping past her to come to a stop at the head of the bed.  


“Okay, let us see what they have done to you.”  


With that, the other redhead began tapping at the similar boxes of light that the cloaked woman had used moments ago, but Anukai noted that several of them now flashed red, instead. To the braided redhead’s surprise, her fingers moved deftly and confidently, even as the glyphs and images meant nothing to her. After several long seconds of tapping at the various boxes, however, Ashana finally paused, taking a deep breath before jabbing two fingers into one with a sense of finality.  


Anukai noted how the box of light seemed to flash green before all of them disappeared.  


“What did you do?” she asked anxiously.  


“I have disabled these ‘nanobots’, as she said before,” Ashana replied, “I believe.”  


“That’s… that’s good,” Anukai replied, nodding.  


“As for extracting them, I am unsure. I am sorry.”  


“One step at a time,” Anukai sighed, nodding.  


Just then, a chime sounded in her ear through her Focus, Ashana’s slight jump in her posture telling her that she heard it, too.  


“Well, that took less time than I expected.”  


The voice instantly set Anukai’s blood boiling as her hands clenched into fists at her sides.  


“Guess we go to Plan C.”  


As soon as the young Ted’s voice faded from her ear, Talanah let out a cry of pain, staggering away from the bedside as she pressed her hands against her head.  


“Talanah?!” Ikrie called, beginning to move toward her.  


As she did, Anukai noted the younger redhead also beginning to thrash about in her bed and her eyes widened, one hand reaching toward the dark-haired girl across from her.  


“Don’t go near her!”  


Ikrie skidded to a stop, confusion creasing her face. A moment later, Talaanh doubled over, her hands still firmly pressed against her temples. Anukai quickly scrambled around the end of the bed where Aloy lay, gesturing for Ikrie to come to her. Just before the dark-haired girl could, however, Talanah seemed to freeze in place, only to slowly straighten up a moment later.  


When Anukai’s eyes met the Carja’s, her blood turned to ice.  


They were the same golden-amber they had been before, but they carried an intensity she had never seen before. At the center of them, however, her pupils appeared larger than ever. When she spoke, her voice was colder and more intense than Anukai had ever heard it.  


“You’re not leaving this room.”


	11. Keys to the Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is.
> 
> The climax of this installment, and the entire _The Devil Lies in the West_ story arc. 
> 
> There's one more chapter after this, but it's very much the falling action/epilogue.
> 
> This is the big one, though.
> 
> The big Kahuna, if you will.
> 
> If you've been following along this whole time, thanks for joining me on this crazy ride.
> 
> If you've been following all the way since _Duality_... I owe you my sincerest thanks.
> 
> Anyhow, this chapters 15,000 words long, so let's not delay.

The braided redhead swallowed heavily as her gaze quickly flicked toward her mirror image in the bed across from them, finding that she had ceased thrashing in place, and was now throwing the sheets off her lower half. Ikrie glanced back toward her, as well, before quickly slipping forward, ducking past Talanah’s reach before skidding to a halt beside Anukai.  


“What is this?” Ashana said, her body visibly tense.  


As the braided redhead glanced toward Sammy beside her, she noticed the other woman still held her weapon raised, her gaze sweeping between the two figures before them.  


“You were an experiment,” the Carja continued, her tone sending shivers through Anukai with each word, “and it failed.”  


“No, you’ll be,” Sammy growled, begin to lift her weapon but the redhead quickly knocked it aside.  


The weapon discharged into the ground at the foot of the bed near the previously bedridden redhead, but she didn’t even seem to flinch. A moment later, Talanah had suddenly reached across the bed, attempting to grab for either Anukai or the weapon, but her grasp ultimately missed as Ashana shoved her hand off its trajectory. The redhead and the armed woman staggered backward as Sammy glanced over at her with a glare.  


“What was that?”  


“We are _not_ killing her,” Anukai spat.  


“She’s trying to kill us!”  


“It’s those nanobots that Faro mentioned,” the redhead said, glancing back to find Talanah making her way around the end of the bed as Ikrie and Ashana began to back toward them, as well. “They’re…”  


“Fuck…” Sammy sighed, adjusting her grip on her weapon. “Stop right there!”  


“She already told you not to shoot me,” Talanah shot back with a malicious smirk. “Going to break her trust that quickly?”  


Suddenly, the shaved redhead’s foot shot out toward the Carja’s left ankle, sweeping it from under her and sending the raven-haired woman to the ground with a cry of surprise. Anukai glanced over to find Ashana quickly kneeling over her, tapping at the Focus beside her ear, but the sound of approaching footsteps brought her attention forward, once again, finding the controlled redhead running toward them, her eyes focused on Ikrie, as she was the closest.  


Snapping into motion, Anukai rushed forward, stepping in front of the dark-haired girl and raising her left arm to swing it back across her body. The back of her hand and forearm collided with the other redhead’s chest, stopping her forward progress and sending her careening into the bed beside them with a loud bang. The braided redhead paused, glancing down at her mirror image now glaring up at her, before swallowing heavily and moving to bring her foot down toward her face.  


The other redhead, however, grabbed her by the heel and shoved her backward, sending her toppling into Ikrie, who let out a cry of surprise and managed to catch the two of them on the end of the bed across from them at the last moment. As Anukai righted herself, she heard the sound of a loud, metallic clicking from her left and glanced over to find Sammy pointing her weapon at the other redhead, her finger wrapped around the trigger, but no loud bang echoing from it, as usual. The other woman quickly glanced down at her weapon with wide eyes.  


“Shit…”  


With that, the antagonistic redhead changed her focus, charging forward and grabbing the weapon by the tip. A moment later, it flew from her hands as the other girl yanked it toward her. Sammy staggered forward, as well, with the motion, only for Anukai’s mirror image to deliver a swift elbow to the bridge of her nose. The formerly armed girl let out a cry of pain as she staggered in place, one hand reaching toward where the blow had landed while the other seemed to be half-heartedly held before her in defense.  


The other redhead began to raise the weapon to swing like some kind of club, but Anukai suddenly rushed forward, throwing up her left arm before her to block the attack. The weapon slammed against her metal appendage with a resounding clang, the realization that whatever sense of pain came from the attack felt incredibly muted sent a strong shiver down her spine, but the redhead quickly pushed forward. She twisted her hand around to grab the weapon, itself, as she gripped the girl’s shoulder with her right hand, using it for leverage as she drove her knee forward into her stomach.  


The controlled redhead staggered for a moment as Anukai seized her moment to pull at the weapon with a great deal of force, ripping it from her grasp as the other girl staggered into the end of the nearby bed, tripping on one of her own feet and falling to the floor. She managed to catch herself on the metal bar at the foot of the bed, attempting to pull herself back up, once again, only to pause, her shoulders visibly trembling.  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face for a moment before the girl lifted her face to look up at her, the expression so nearly like pleading that it took the braided redhead by surprise.  


“He… won’t… let… me… leave…” the other girl rasped, the tremors in her arms and shoulders growing stronger as her fingers visibly worked around the metal bar. “Help… me…”  


Anukai glanced back toward the others in the group, finding Ashana still grappling with Talanah, the shaved redhead holding one of the Carja’s arms down with a knee while gripping the other by the wrist, holding them both away from her.  


“Not… not going to… walk… out… of here…”  


The braided redhead turned back to her mirror image before her, finding the girl’s face screwed up in what appeared to be pain.  


“They… keep… me alive…” she managed. “Not… not going to… turn them off…”  


Anukai’s hands curled tightly around the weapon in them, a tight feeling quickly appearing in her chest as the edges of her vision seemed to blur, leaving her singularly focused on the other redhead.  


“Would… be… slow…” the girl managed, her voice strained as the tremors in her hands seemed to have stopped, but each word conveyed the absolute battle required to force them out. “Make… it… quick.”  


The braided redhead froze entirely for a moment, her eyes focused on the gold-green gaze that stared back at her, the desperation in it seemingly so foreign within the face around it. Images of metal hallways sliding by her as she was dragged through them flashed before her for a moment, her left arm beginning to sting and burn in a way it hadn’t in weeks, before she finally blinked, bringing the other redhead into focus before her, once again.  


Just as the look in her eyes seemed to slip from desperation to the cold determination she had seen moments ago, Anukai lifted the weapon, holding it by the section near the tip, before swinging it toward the other’s head.  


The metal made contact with a resounding crack, the impact shooting along the metal of the weapon and stinging her right hand, but the braided redhead clenched her jaw against it. As she stared down at the form on the ground, she saw the other girl still attempting to get up, it seemed. The next moment, she found the weapon raised over her head, both hands gripping it tightly before she drove the back section of it straight down toward her mirror image’s head.  


Another, much louder crack split the air, along with a decidedly wetter sound.  


Anukai lifted the weapon away from the now-still form of the other redhead, staggering back a step or two before dropping it on the ground beside her with a heavy clatter. Her gaze remained locked on the patch of floor above the other redhead, the surface now coated in a broad pool of dark, red liquid which only seemed to grow larger with each passing second.  


Finally, she managed to turn away, battling back the rising feeling of nausea in her throat, to focus on the rest of the group behind her.  


Ashana was still kneeling over Talanah while Ikrie had joined her, helping hold the Carja’s arm that the redhead had gripped by the wrist moments earlier. The shaved redhead continued to tap at something in the air before her, presumably visible through the Focus beside her ear, but by the tone of her voice as she spat words Anukai didn’t recognize, it wasn’t going as well as it had with Aloy earlier.  


“What’s wrong?” the braided redhead asked, approaching the group and coming to a stop behind Ikrie.  


“I cannot put the tiny machines to sleep,” Ashana spat. “I am being told that I am not allowed.”  


“Not allowed?” Anukai shot back.  


“You don’t have the right access.”  


The braided redhead jumped at the sound of the voice from behind her, whirling around to find a new figure standing at the far end of the room, near the body of the man in the white cloak Sammy had shot down earlier. Anukai’s gaze swept over them for a moment or two before confusion creased her face and she glanced to the floor to her left, but the body still remained, surrounded by a pool of its own blood.  


“I have to admit, I’m a little offended, but I understand.”  


The redhead’s gaze swept back to the new figure, her mind finally registering her image in full.  


“You…”  


As the other figure began to step forward, Anukai continued to search the gold-green eyes, the freckled face, the shoulder-length copper hair, and the smirk twisting her features as if hoping to convince herself she wasn’t real, but her mind told her that she had seen this exact figure before.  


Inside a mountain.  


In Nora lands.  


“Long time, no see, Anukai,” Elisabet said, coming to a stop before her.  


“How are you here?” the younger redhead breathed.  


“That’s a long story,” the image of the older redhead replied, her eyes flicking past her for a moment before returning to Anukai’s face. “We’ll see if we have some time, perhaps.”  


Just then, the sound of a loud cry of pain came from behind her and the braided redhead whirled around, finding Ashana’s back arched in pain while she desperately scrabbled at something to her side. Anukai quickly realized that it was Talanah’s arm, Ikrie seeming to have relented her grip for a moment as she had also glanced back toward Anukai, allowing the Carja to bend her arm. Talanah’s hand was gripping Ashana’s left side firmly, her thumb pressed into the spot where Anukai recalled bandaging the puncture wound earlier.  


At the sound of the redhead’s cries, Ikrie had whirled around, attempting to pull her hand away, but the Carja seemed to hold fast.  


“Let’s all calm down, here,” Elisabet sighed from beside Anukai.  


As the braided redhead glanced over at her, the sounds of Ashana’s screams of pain faded to something like wheezing, instead, prompting Anukai to glance back toward her. Talanah’s hand had released the shaved redhead, her fingers spread wide as Ikrie quickly tried to pull it to the ground, once again.  


Anukai’s gaze, however, quickly slid to the Carja’s face, finding that the cold, steel-eyed determination was now gone, instead replaced with something like incredulity. The braided redhead’s eyes widened as she glanced toward Elisabet beside her, finding the older redhead smirking. Pushing aside the flood of questions that poured into her mind at that moment, the braided redhead rushed forward, carefully guiding Ashana off of Talanah, crouching before her and bracing her hands on the shaved redhead’s shoulders.  


“It is simply pain,” the shaved redhead growled through clenched teeth before Anukai could even say anything.  


The braided redhead’s lips pulled into a thin line for a moment as she glanced at the visibly soaked clothing at her left side, but ultimately nodded, patting her shoulder and turning back to the Carja behind her. Ikrie still knelt at her side, looking rather wary as Talanah pushed herself to a seated position, her left arm notably remaining still at her side.  


“Talanah?” Anukai pressed cautiously.  


The raven-haired woman’s lips drew into a thin line as she nodded slowly, her eyes squeezing shut tightly.  


“I… think so…” she muttered. “I… I can’t tell… My thoughts feel… foreign…”  


“It’s the lingering effects of the nanobots.”  


Elisabet approached the Carja’s feet, crouching before them, as well. As she did, Anukai noted that she appeared to be dressed in similar clothing to the man and woman who had entered earlier, a white cloak left open over a pair of dark leggings and a simple, white top. Talanah’s eyes quickly shot open as her gaze focused on the older redhead.  


“A-Aloy…?”  


Elisabet smirked before sighing and shaking her head.  


“Not quite,”  


The Carja’s incredulous gaze quickly gave way to something like shock before turning to anger, prompting the hair on Anukai’s neck to stand on end. Just as Talanah went to lunge toward the older redhead, she braced her hands on her shoulders.  


“I thought you put those nanobots to sleep?” she said.  


“I did,” Elisabet sighed.  


“Let go of me, Anukai!” the Carja spat.  


The braided redhead paused, confusion creasing her face, but Talanah continued to try to push past her, although Anukai was easily able to hold her back, particularly with one of her arms barely operable.  


“Talanah, calm down…”  


“We locked her in a mountain!” the Carja shouted. “She tried to kill us!”  


“I know who she—”  


“You don’t know the beginning of who she is, and what she wants!”  


Talanah’s gaze had turned to Anukai, now, her eyes blazing as the younger redhead recoiled slightly, her hands slowly slipping from her shoulders.  


“Why don’t I just tell you, then?”  


They both turned toward Elisabet, finding the older redhead glancing between them with her eyebrows raised.  


“It’s simple: I want the same thing you want.”  


Talanah let out a short, dry laugh in response.  


“I want that clone of Ted up there gone,” Elisabet continued, “and I’m sure that even Aloy would agree with that.”  


“I can speak for myself.”  


The entire group jumped in surprise, whirling toward the bed nearby to find the other, familiar redhead sitting up in it. Her face was pale, with prominent, dark bags under her eyes, but she seemed otherwise awake and alert as her glare settled on her near mirror-image nearby.  


“Resilient as always,” Elisabet remarked, letting out a short laugh.  


“You should know it’s hard to kill me,” Aloy shot back, already moving to climb off the bed.  


Anukai noted Talanah attempting to scramble to her feet and she quickly moved to help her, wrapping an arm behind her back and lifting her until they were both standing. As soon as she was, the Carja slipped around the bed, racing to Aloy and wrapping her good arm around her, nearly knocking the redhead back onto the bed. The older redhead returned the embrace, notably taking care when wrapping an arm around the Carja’s left side.  


“All these years… still going strong, I see.”  


The two pulled apart, glaring toward Elisabet as the other redhead adjusted her position, folding her arms over her chest.  


“I’m surprised Ted kept you around,” Aloy shot back, “let alone allowed you to walk around so freely.”  


“What Ted doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” the other, older redhead sighed.  


“So when you contacted us in Reva…”  


“He might not have known,” Elisabet finished, smirking. “For the most part, Ted doesn’t really know what to do with me, but he wasn’t dumb enough to give me full access to whatever I want.”  


“Oh?” Aloy shot back.  


“Communications, data, medical… all those auxiliary systems I can access, but only to view, basically,” she continued, “but anything major? No access at all.”  


“Enough to get a new bot, though.”  


“True,” Elisabet replied, lifting one hand and turning it back and forth before her slowly. “The ones they have here are… leagues beyond anything in that old ruin, even with all of my… modifications.”  


Anukai glanced between the two older redheads as Ikrie moved to her side, visibly tense.  


“They’ve got a lot of nice things here, actually,” Elisabet continued. “They’ve advanced some of GAIA’s terraforming tech to near perfection. The water runs clearer, the plants grow greener… no one in the Port is starving, or living without. This city that generations of Ted Faros built is—somehow—the utopia that people only dreamed about in my time.”  


“ _Your_ time?” Aloy spat.  


“Are you really going to ignore everything else that I just said?” Elisabet interjected. “All of these things are what you want, no?”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely as she glanced between the two older redheads, Ikrie notably shifting beside her, as well.  


“I’m offering a truce, here,” Elisabet continued. “We take everything from Ted, get rid of him, and you all go home, nice and happy.”  


“And you?”  


“GAIA, for how strong she is, can’t fully operate two enormous centers at once,” she said. “I’ll look after this one.”  


“Leave you in charge of all this?!” Aloy spat. “I think we should burn you with the rest of it!”  


“Then who will get you into Ted’s ivory tower, in the first place?” the other redhead shot back. “Without me, you might as well start throwing rocks at his windows… until he gets more of his people like her to kill you.”  


Elisabet nodded toward Sammy, who had stopped cradling her nose, revealing how the lower half of her face was covered in deep red blood. The girl began to take an aggressive step forward, but Ikrie stopped her with an arm across her chest, the dark-haired girl shaking her head.  


“So, what’s it going to be?” the synthetic redhead replied, raising her eyebrows. “We doing this together, right now?”  


Aloy’s jaw worked tensely as Talanah continued to glare at Elisabet. Silence hung over the group for several long moments before the sound of a clearing throat broke it.  


“We take out Ted, New Dawn crumbles, we use what they built to better everyone, right?”  


The group all turned to Anukai as the younger redhead straightened her posture under their gazes.  


“Maybe not the victory we thought we’d have… but still a victory, right?”  


Elisabet smirked, nodding slowly.  


“I like this kid.”  


The group turned to Aloy, finding the older redhead still glaring at her synthetic mirror image, until finally she took a deep breath, her jaw squared.  


“Fine.”  


Talanah glanced toward her, seemingly in surprise, before Elisabet nodded, clapping her hands before her.  


“It’s settled then,” she said. “As soon you’re all feeling ready, we make for the elevator to the top.”  


Anukai quickly turned to her right, finding Ashana seated against the end of the bed beside her, one hand held over her left side as her jaw remained clenched, although the braided redhead noted her face was growing incredibly pale. Turning toward Sammy, she got the other girl’s attention before nodding to the injured redhead.  


“You said we could help her here,” she said.  


Sammy nodded before wincing at the motion, gingerly holding one hand to her nose, once again.  


“We either need to get her up, or bring something to her,” she managed, her voice more nasal than before.  


“I’m thinking we bring it to her, where is—?”  


“I will not die on this floor.”  


They both turned back to Ashana to find the shaved redhead gripping the metal railing above her with one hand, her jaw clenched and her eyes squeezed shut as she struggled to pull herself to her feet. Anukai contemplated moving closer to her, but ultimately paused as the other redhead managed to drag herself to her feet, although her boots slipped on the polished floor for a moment. When she finally righted herself, Ashana let out a heavy sigh that turned into something like a growl, her eyes opening as her chest heaved.  


“Show me to your way of stemming this wound,” she said, her gaze focusing on Sammy, in particular.  


The girl blinked in surprise, her eyes remaining wide for a moment or two before she cleared her throat.  


“This way.”  


As she began to lead Ashana out of the room, Anukai turned back to the others, finding Aloy still glaring at Elisabet, even as the other redhead watched the girls leaving, instead. When the synthetic redhead turned back from the doorway, her gaze skipped over Aloy, once again, to land on Anukai, the hair on the back of the younger redhead’s neck standing on end.  


“I have to say, I was disappointed in you for a minute,” she sighed, “but… I think I’m proud, now.”  


“You don’t speak to her,” Aloy spat.  


“Excuse me, she is a grown woman and can speak for herself,” Elisabet shot back, glaring at the other older redhead.  


“You took advantage of my ignorance,” Anukai interjected, her tone firm and drawing the attention of the others almost immediately. “I am no longer, though.”  


Elisabet smirked, an amused glint flashing in her eyes.  


“There’s the Sobeck spirit.”  


Anukai felt a shiver run through her as she turned her attention to Aloy, once again, moving to the opposite side of the bed where she had laid earlier.  


“How are you feeling?” she asked.  


“I can walk,” she shrugged.  


“We’re going to need to do more than walk…”  


“And I will do so at that time,” she shot back, inhaling deeply before turning back to Anukai, her expression softening. “Don’t worry about me, kid. I’m not out of this fight, yet.”  


The younger redhead gave a small nod, the corner of her lips pulling back ever so slightly. A moment later, Aloy cleared her throat, glancing around at the others.  


“We should check on those other two,” she said, “and start making our way toward Ted.”  


They all nodded, and Elisabet began to lead the way toward the door at the far end of the room. Aloy began to lead Talanah after her, the redhead moving stiffly while the Carja still kept her left arm still at her side.  


“What did they do to you?” the raven-haired woman asked softly, Anukai just able to hear them as she moved toward Ikrie at the end of the bed.  


“Not sure…” Aloy managed, sighing. “I think they injected me with the same things they put in you.”  


Talanah’s lips pulled into a thin line, but she nodded, repositioning herself so that she could wrap her right arm around Aloy’s shoulders. As Anukai reached Ikrie, the dark-haired girl raised her eyebrows toward her, prompting the redhead to offer her a small smile, wrapping one arm behind her back and squeezing her tightly to her side. As they passed the body of the other redhead on the floor, Anukai made a point not to look at it, although she caught Ikrie’s head turn out of the corner of her eyes. She half-expected the other girl to say something, but she remained silent, instead slipping her own arm around Anukai’s back and squeezing her far side reassuringly.  


When they reached the door to the hallway outside, the couples broke apart, moving single-file through it before turning to the left, following after the synthetic redhead, who didn’t stop as she continued along whatever path she had been following. As they continued, Anukai glanced through the series of large windows to either side of them, noting the seemingly endless rooms with machinery, all glowing with bright lights in the form of glyphs.  


Notably, however, all of them seemed to be empty.  


Finally, Elisabet came to a stop before one of the doors on the left, gesturing to it. Aloy and Talanah glanced through the window before the redhead pressed her hand against the square of orange light beside the metal portal, the entrance sliding open. Anukai glanced inside, as well, finding Ashana seated on the edge of a metal bench, the side of her top pulled up to reveal the blood-soaked skin around the puncture wound, the fresh blood mixing with the dried stain on her skin to turn a deep crimson.  


Before she entered the door, however, the younger redhead paused, glancing toward Elisabet, the older redhead raising her eyebrows slightly. Images of a similar face, framed by the same shorter hairstyle, on the wooden floor of an ancient ship flashed before her eyes for a moment, but she quickly pushed the heavy feeling in her chest aside, turning and entering the room without a word.  


As she and Ikrie approached, Sammy was just returning to the bench, holding some kind of device in her right hand. At first, Anukai thought it was a knife, but as she stared at it more, she realized that it was cylindrical, although it did have what appeared to be a sharp tip at one end.  


“This will hurt,” she sighed, coming to a stop before the shaved redhead.  


“Pain I can bear,” Ashana said. “If it will allow me to survive, I will much prefer that to death, though.”  


“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Sammy muttered before taking a deep breath and jamming the device directly into the wound.  


Anukai started, her first instinct to rush forward to pull her away, especially as Ashana let out a loud cry of pain, although it was somewhat muffled as she kept her jaw clenched shut tightly. The braided redhead remained where she was, however, watching as the other redhead’s chest began to heave quickly as her breathing became rapid but shallow. After several long seconds, Sammy pulled the device free, grimacing as she stared at the wound.  


As Anukai’s eyes fell on it, she realized that it no longer appeared to be a gaping hole in the girl’s side, as it was now filled with some kind of pale, greyish substance that looked slightly puffy to the touch.  


“What is this you have put inside me?” Ashana managed, eying it, as well.  


“It’s somatic gel,” Sammy explained, dropping the cylindrical device on the bench beside the redhead. “It’ll hold your insides together and stem internal bleeding, giving time for your body to begin naturally healing.”  


“How will it heal if this—” Ashana spat an unfamiliar word that seemed to carry a great amount of vitriol, her lip curling slightly as she stared down at the injury, “is still inside me?”  


“It will break down over a few days,” the other girl said, grabbing some kind of cloth and approaching the redhead before offering it to her. “It’s harmless, and it’ll be like it was never there.”  


Ashana didn’t seem as if she entirely believed her, but took the cloth and began to carefully wipe at the area around her wound.  


“It also has a bit of a numbing agent,” Sammy continued, moving to grab another cloth and beginning to wipe at her own face. “It’ll help with the pain.”  


“I can feel it fading,” the redhead replied, nodding. “Perhaps this may be of use for the impending fight.”  


“Hold on,” Aloy said, stepping forward. “That stuff didn’t fix you, permanently. It’s only temporary.”  


“As is pain,” Ashana shrugged. “This will not stop me from a fight.”  


“A fight may undo anything this is intended to help with,” Aloy shot back, bracing her hands on her hips as she came to a stop just before the girl. “It could be for nothing, then.”  


The shaved redhead shot her a dirty look before focusing on her side, once again, wiping away the remainder of the blood that she was able to before tossing the cloth on the bench beside her. With a sigh, she turned back to the older redhead, her gaze sweeping her up and down.  


“You are Aloy,” she said.  


“I am,” the older redhead nodded. “I’ve seen you before, but don’t know your name.”  


“Ashana.”  


“I understand you have suffered a great deal at the hands of these people, Ashana,” Aloy replied, “but there are more ways to seek revenge on them than with fists or weapons.”  


The shaved redhead raised her eyebrows as the older woman glanced at Talanah, taking a deep breath.  


“Talanah’s told me that you’re good with technology,” she said. “You deactivated the nanobots these New Dawn people put in me.”  


The girl nodded, her jaw still working tensely even as she remained silent.  


“They took something from me, like what I think this Faro tried to take from you,” Aloy continued. “We need to make sure that it’s destroyed.”  


Ashana remained silent for several long moments before sighing deeply, her face contorting in the slightest hint of a grimace at the motion.  


“How do we destroy this thing they took from you?” she asked.  


Aloy turned back to Elisabet, raising her eyebrows.  


“You said you have access to the auxiliary systems, including data and medical, right?”  


The synthetic redhead nodded.  


“Where is that stored? There has to be a physical bank for a building this size.”  


Elisabet remained silent for several long moments before finally responding.  


“There is, on a sub-level.”  


“Then that’s where you need to go,” Aloy said, turning back to Ashana. “Access their databanks, see what you can find, remove any information relating to me, or any of us, and see if there’s anything else worth keeping.”  


The shaved redhead still looked conflicted for a moment before nodding.  


“I can help her, too,” Talanah offered, straightening her posture.  


Aloy looked conflicted for a moment, prompting the Carja to approach her, placing one hand on her shoulder.  


“It’s going to be a fight to get to Faro, and I’m not in my best shape, right now,” she said. “I don’t want to hold you back.”  


The older redhead’s lips pulled into a thin line, but she ultimately nodded.  


“I’ll have to go with her,” Elisabet suddenly interjected.  


“Why?” Aloy said shortly, whirling to face her.  


“I’ve been able to block the signal to the nanobots in her so far, preventing them from carrying out Ted’s plan to make her kill all of you, but if I’m too far away… I can’t keep doing that, as well,” the synthetic redhead explained. “Besides, Ted has a firewall around his office that’ll prevent this bot, and me in general, from getting too close. You’ll have to be the one to go in, regardless, but I can still get you access to the elevator up to his floor.”  


The older redhead’s expression had quickly soured, once again, her jaw working tensely until her gaze finally came to rest on Anukai and Ikrie. The younger redhead felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end just before Aloy opened her mouth.  


“Ikrie, can you escort them, as well?”  


“What?” the dark-haired girl shot back. “Why? I-I’m going with Anukai, wherever she—”  


“Kid, I get it,” Aloy interrupted. “I don’t want to leave Talanah’s side, either, but having one non-injured, normal person with them can be invaluable.”  


Anukai exchanged glances with the girl beside her, finding Ikrie’s pale eyes wide, mirroring her own fear at the thought of separating, once again.  


Across the hallway in a metal cage, where she could still see her was one thing, but at the complete opposite end of a hostile building, where they had already seen how casually their enemies disregarded their lives even before they had escaped sent a paralyzing shiver through the redhead.  


“Ikrie, please?”  


“I’ll go.”  


The girls quickly turned back to the other side of the room, finding Sammy stepping forward from her place by the bench. Aloy turned to her warily, as well, prompting the girl to clench her jaw, straightening her posture, as well.  


“I have seen enough of what has been done in Faro’s name,” she said. “This is my chance to attempt to repair some of what I have contributed, unwittingly.”  


The rest of the group all looked back at her with expressions ranging from somewhat surprised to impressed, until finally Aloy nodded.  


“Okay, kid,” she said. “Ikrie, you’re with Anukai and me, then.”  


A momentary feeling of relief flooded through the younger redhead as she glanced toward Ikrie, an expression reflecting a similar feeling crossing her face, as well.  


“Let’s go,” Aloy said, drawing everyone’s attention to her, once again. “Ted knows we’re coming, and the more time we give him to prepare, the worse it will be for us.”  


The group nodded, in return, beginning to make their way toward the door out of the room. Anukai hesitated for a moment, watching Ashana as she slid from the bench, grimacing as she placed weight on her feet, but the other redhead ultimately stood strong, her hands clenching into fists at her sides for a moment before releasing, slowly. Just as she turned to follow the others, Sammy suddenly stopped before the braided redhead, reaching for something at her belt before holding it toward her.  


Anukai glanced down to see a small, metal weapon, like the one she and her comrades had taken from her, initially, in the palm of the girl’s hand.  


“Take it,” Sammy said. “You’ll need it most.”  


The redhead slowly grasped the weapon, turning it over in her hand once or twice before nodding in thanks, glancing up at the girl’s face, once again.  


“Do me a favor,” Sammy continued, “and shoot him in the fucking head with it. For me.”  


A smirk cracked Anukai’s features as she nodded more firmly, the other girl mirroring her expression before taking a deep breath.  


“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry… for everything that happened,” she said, “to all of you.”  


The redhead nodded, her smirk fading as her lips pulled to one side slightly, her expression appearing more of a frown for a moment before she sighed.  


“I was misled, before, too,” she said softly. “There’s always time to change.”  


Sammy nodded, swallowing heavily before nodding after the rest of the group.  


“We should keep up.”  


Anukai fell in step beside her as they continued after the group, Ikrie notably waiting for them at the door. As they made their way outside, the redhead nervously adjusted her grip on the weapon’s handle, holding it at her side as she had nowhere to place it, after the guards had taken her belt, earlier.  


Another short walk brought them to a stop in a room with four sets of double metal doors, two on each wall. Elisabet stepped over to the right side, pressing a button set into the wall between them and sighing.  


“I’ll give you three the access code to get up to Faro, and then it’s all on you,” she said, glancing toward the two redheads and the dark-haired huntress. “Good luck.”  


A moment later, the set of doors on the right slid open, and Elisabet stepped into the doorway, holding one hand inside the elevator for a moment or two until a synthetic chime echoed from within.  


“Clearance accepted.”  


With that, Elisabet turned from the doorway, raising her eyebrows.  


“If you need to get past any locked doors, you know the password,” she said, smirking.  


Aloy’s jaw clenched, but she remained silent, stepping to the doorway and blocking it, herself.  


“I’ll make sure you get on the elevator with the others,” she shot back. “Just in case.”  


Elisabet shrugged, stepping from the doorway and pressing the other of two buttons between the two sets of doors. Several long moments later, another chime sounded and the doors across from them slid open. The group began to move toward them, with Sammy taking the lead, however Talanah lingered for a moment, glancing toward Aloy with her lips pulled into a thin line. Before following after the others, the Carja quickly slipped over to her, pressing a firm kiss against the redhead for several long moments. When she pulled away, she leaned her forehead against Aloy’s, whispering something too softly for Anukai to hear, but whatever it was made the redhead laugh and nod.  


With one final, quick kiss, they separated and Talanah hurried over to the others, stepping into the elevator behind Elisabet, the other redhead eying her with something like amusement before staring directly across the hallway toward the other three.  


“Happy hunting.”  


With that, the doors slid closed and the hallway fell silent. Sighing heavily, Aloy glanced toward the girls beside her, nodding inside the elevator.  


“Up we go.”  


With that, Anukai and Ikrie slid inside the small space, Aloy following them and finally allowing the doors to close behind her. As soon as they did, the elevator began to shoot upward, the feeling quickly settling into the younger redhead’s stomach as she fiddled with the weapon in her hands, once again. The older redhead glanced toward it for a moment before turning her gaze to Anukai’s face.  


“You ready?”  


She nodded.  


“Have to be.”  


Just then, the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open with a soft, synthetic chime. The hallway immediately outside was empty, but Anukai raised the weapon, just in case, leading the way out of the elevator. Glancing around, the room immediately beyond still appeared empty, so she nodded toward the door at the far end and the group began to move toward it. When they reached the large, double doors, the older redhead moved toward the panel they had seen the man use the first time they had been escorted inside, but hesitated as she reached it.  


“How do you open…?” she muttered.  


Suddenly, the panel crackled with the sound like the voice device Aloy had stolen prior ot entering the Port.  


“By just asking.”  


Suddenly, the doors slid open, revealing a small group of armed figures, all holding the larger weapons like the ones Sammy and her friends had carried earlier. Aloy swore loudly as Anukai suddenly grabbed Ikrie’s arm, shoving her toward the side of the door, toward the small section of wall that could be used for cover. As she did, her other hand instinctually raised the weapon in it, aiming wildly at the figures before squeezing the trigger several times.  


The weapon discharged with several loud bangs that echoed about the space as the figures jumped in surprise, scrambling for cover of their own as a few of them fired blindly at the women. A moment later, Anukai slid into cover beside Ikrie, panting as she held the weapon at her side, pointed at the ground.  


“Of course they were waiting,” she muttered.  


The dark-haired girl glanced down at the weapon in the redhead’s hand for a moment before motioning for her to switch places with her. As the redhead took her place closest to the door, she slid forward, glancing around its edge with one eye to note a few small signs of motion from the armed figures taking cover. Quickly, she also scanned for potential options of her own, noting several benches littered with some kind of machines and glowing lights a yard or so from the door.  


Pulling back into cover, fully, she glanced back toward Ikrie.  


“Just inside, to the left, benches,” she panted. “Stay low.”  


Ikrie nodded and the redhead turned back to the doorway, gripping her weapon tightly before taking a deep breath and suddenly slipping forward around the opening. As soon as she was exposed, one of the figures began to aim toward her, his weapon appearing over the top of another bench. Anukai raised her weapon in his direction and fired it several times, the projectiles slamming into the devices atop her attacker’s cover and sending a spray of sparks and metal parts into the air as he quickly fell back behind it, once again.  


The redhead dropped into a slide across the smooth floor until she came to a stop behind one of the benches. A moment later, Ikrie slid into cover behind the one to her left, bracing her hands against its side as she kept herself in as small of a shape as possible. Anukai noted that she hadn’t heard any signs of further discharges, and the other girl was not nursing any wounds, so she turned her attention to Aloy, instead.  


The older redhead was still hiding behind the outer wall of the door they had just entered, her eyes locked on Anukai. They both exchanged nods before the younger redhead held her weapon around the side of her cover, firing blindly in the general direction of the armed figures. Amidst the cacophony, Aloy slipped from her hiding place, racing into the room before similarly sliding to a stop behind one of the benches.  


Breathing a sigh of relief, Anukai turned back to Ikrie to find that the dark-haired girl had disappeared. The redhead’s heart rate skyrocketed as she reached for her Focus, tapping its side and glancing around the room before her until she found the outlined, orange image of a figure in a crouch moving along the end of the benches ahead of her. A moment later, the figure leapt forward, grabbing onto something and dragging it toward the ground. Based on the motions, she assumed Ikrie must have grabbed one of the attackers, and she watched nervously as the struggle continued for several long moments.  


Finally, however, the orange figure lowered whatever was in her arms to the floor before reaching for something else. As she grabbed the item, she slid back into cover, clearly holding something in her hands.  


Breathing a sigh of relief, Anukai turned back to Aloy to also find that the older redhead had similarly disappeared.  


“Going to be shown up, here,” the younger redhead muttered, adjusting her position before tapping her Focus again and carefully sliding around her bench, moving toward the far end of it, while remaining below its surface.  


The sound of a choked cry from across the room prompted her to freeze, gripping her weapon tighter.  


“Over there!”  


A moment later, several loud reports from the metal weapons echoed about the room, prompting Anukai to wince, but she quickly moved forward toward the end of the bench, coming to a stop at the corner before bracing herself to lean around it. As she did, she saw one of the armed figures standing from his cover, weapon held and pointed to her right. The redhead raised her weapon, stepping sideways from her cover, while remaining crouched, and squeezed the trigger several times.  


The man recoiled as one of the projectiles hit him, but didn’t fall. A moment later, Anukai’s weapon stopped firing, and only an empty clicking sounded when she squeezed the trigger. Cursing, she ducked back into cover just before she heard several of the same projectiles slam into the surfaces around her.  


She raised one hand over her head out of reflex, but remained in a low crouch until the volley came to a stop. As soon as it did, another one started, but this time the firing seemed to occur from nearby, Anukai just catching the flash of the weapon’s tip above the top of the benches before her.  


A pained cry echoed out from across the room as another voice called out what appeared to be a name, followed by panicked cursing. The firing of the weapon from farther away became more frequent, but erratic, as Anukai kept low in her cover. A moment later, her Focus chirped in her ear and she held one hand over it.  


“I can’t see him if he keeps firing everywhere,” Aloy’s voice said. “Can you hit him, or at least fire on him to make him stop?”  


“My weapon’s empty, I think,” Anukai replied, shaking her head.  


“I can,” Ikrie’s voice came through the device.  


A moment later, the firing resumed from nearby, and while the two sets overlapped for a few moments, the more distant one quickly ceased. As Ikrie’s weapon fell silent, the room seemed to ring with the sounds of the weapons for several long seconds, until three, rapid reportss sounded from across the room.  


Anukai tensed, listening for any sounds of motion, voices, or additional weapon reports, but none came.  


“I think that’s all of them,” Aloy’s voice finally said in her ear, low and breathy.  


The younger redhead sighed, holding her empty weapon in one hand loosely as she rubbed at her eyes with the other. With a heavy sigh, Anukai began to rise from her cover, glancing around the space. Just as she did, however, she caught sight of motion out of the corner of her eye and she whirled toward it, finding the main set of doors to her left sliding open.  


“Except one.”  


As the voice rang in her ear, she cursed loudly, dropping to the floor, once again, as several more loud reports echoed about the room, the projectiles slamming into the metal machinery and equipment above her.  


“I have to admit, I was curious what some rehashed version of Lis could do with weapons,” the voice of Ted taunted through the redhead’s Focus. “I knew she was a country gal, probably shot a few guns, but I don’t believe she went through Green Beret training.”  


“It’s because we’re not Elisabet,” Anukai spat, her jaw working tensely.  


“Clearly.”  


The reports continued for several moments before falling silent, once again.  


“The one who disabled the nanobots, though, she’s got the real essence of Lis in her,” he continued to taunt. “Maybe I’ll have to pump her full of some, too, and get her to work for me. GAIA won’t accept her, like the older one of you, but she’s got her own purpose. The other one—you, out there? Not so much. Maybe you’ll be the revenge one. Cut off your eyelids, pry your fingernails off with a metal file, cut up your pretty face, rip that metal arm out of its socket…”  


Just then, a war like cry came from nearby and Anukai’s blood ran cold. She quickly rose from her cover, finding Ikrie above hers, weapon raised toward the open doorway and Ted beyond it. As the dark-haired girl fired toward him, he simply ducked behind his metal bench, out of reach of her projectiles.  


The redhead quickly seized her moment to slip around the benches, approaching Ikrie’s before dragging her back down into cover. The dark-haired girl thrashed against her for a moment, but stopped firing, until she realized who had grabbed her and she fell still.  


“He could have hit you,” Anukai hissed.  


“Not if I shot first,” the dark-haired girl shot back.  


The redhead sighed, shaking her head but ultimately pressing her forehead against Ikrie’s for a moment.  


“Let’s take this carefully,” she whispered.  


“How touching,” Ted’s voice echoed in Anukai’s ear, prompting her jaw to clench. “Did you forget I can hear you while you’re wearing one of my Focus devices?”  


“It’s not yours,” the redhead spat. “Just like how none of this really is.”  


“I’m made from the same shit as the original Ted Faro,” he roared in response. “I was raised to embrace that, while you were just a mistake, left in the dark to never realize your potential. All of this, is as good as mine, whether these exact hands built it or not.”  


“You want Aloy because she was the first to be made in Elisabet’s image, right?” Anukai shot back. “I don’t work because I’m not as much like Elisabet as she is—you said so. What does that make you, if you’re the twenty-fourth Ted Faro to be made?”  


Silence followed for several long moments before several loud reports echoed about the room, once again, harmlessly slamming into the surface above the girls’ heads.  


“Shut the fuck up!” Ted’s voice screamed in her ear.  


“Sounds like someone hit a nerve,” Aloy muttered, her smirk evident even from her voice, alone.  


“We’ll settle this, then,” the blonde man growled. “All available security units to the penthouse level. Alpha specimens have escaped. We only need the old one alive.”  


Anukai shifted her position, glancing toward Ikrie as the dark-haired girl’s lips drew into a thin line.  


“You’ve got sixty seconds before more armed guards get here,” he said. “You can wait for them, or you can just throw down your weapons and surrender now.”  


Several long seconds passed before three loud reports sounded from the back of the room, prompting Ted to curse loudly.  


“That work for an answer?” Aloy taunted.  


Ted began to mutter in Anukai’s ear through the Focus, but she had turned her attention to Ikrie, removing the device and motioning for her to do the same. The dark-haired girl removed her Focus, holding it firmly in her clenched fist as the redhead leaned in toward her.  


“Move along the left side, get alongside the door,” she whispered. “I’ll draw his attention.”  


Ikrie opened her mouth to protest, but Anukai quickly placed a hand on her arm.  


“I’m the biggest, and most obvious target,” she said, raising her eyebrows.  


The dark-haired girl appeared conflicted for a moment before sighing and nodding. With that, the two of them slid their Focuses back into place, Ted’s voice quickly reappearing in their ears.  


“—once you got to me, huh? None of these systems will recognize you, and so you’ll be locked out forever.”  


“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Aloy’s voice shot back.  


A heavy sigh sounded in Anukai’s ear as Ikrie began to slip to the left, moving around the side of the benches out of view from the doorway.  


“You know, there’s still time for us to settle this the diplomatic way.”  


A short, dry laugh from Aloy sounded in the redhead’s ear as Anukai braced herself at the end of her cover behind the bench.  


“You and I both know that won’t be happening.”  


“True,” Ted replied, “a bullet to the head is much more effective.”  


As Anukai glanced toward the orange-outlined figure of Ikrie, she found her by the doorway, crouched with her hands in the position indicating her weapon was held at the ready. With a deep breath, the redhead set her eyes on the cover of another bench across the center aisle ahead of her.  


Releasing said breath, she charged forward, dashing from cover.  


The sound of a loud report from the open doorway echoed in her ears, just before she heard a loud metallic ping and a strange sensation shot through her left arm. A moment later, the sound of a pained scream split the air as she slid into cover. The redhead came to a stop before glancing down, finding a small gouge taken out of her metal appendage, about halfway between her elbow and her wrist. Despite the sensation a moment ago, and the shiver that ran down her spine as she ran her right hand over the spot, very little actual pain registered in her left arm, and her hand and fingers still seemed to move normally.  


As her attention returned to the sounds of the screaming that had continued, she realized that it was echoing both through her Focus, as well as from the open doorway. She carefully made her way to the edge of the bench before glancing around it. She was just able to see the image of Ted standing behind his bench, one of his hands outstretched, but she quickly realized that the weapon he had held moments ago was no longer in it.  


As Anukai’s attention focused on his hand, she quickly realized why.  


Dark, red liquid pumped from where two of his fingers had once been, the digits missing and leaving behind two jagged stumps of flesh. Rising from her cover, Anukai noted Ikrie stepping from behind the doorway, her weapon still half-raised in Ted’s direction. The blonde man’s gaze lifted from his mangled hand to the dark-haired girl, his face contorting in rage.  


“You bitch!” he screamed.  


“You will not disrespect Anukai in such a way,” she spat, “without drawing my wrath.”  


As the dark-haired girl began to raise her weapon, once again, Aloy’s voice rang out throughout the room.  


“Wait!”  


Ikrie paused, her gaze still focused on Ted, but her finger notably held away from the weapon’s trigger. Anukai glanced back to find Aloy moving from her cover, holding one of the similar weapons as she approached the doorway. The older redhead grabbed one of them from the downed guards and brought it the redheaded girl, handing it to her. Anukai took it, nodding, before holding it as she had seen Sammy and her comrades earlier.  


As the redheads approached the doorway, Anukai moved toward Ikrie, stopping beside her to place one hand on her back, rubbing it for a moment before sparing a glance toward her, nodding. The dark-haired girl smirked just before Aloy came to a stop before them glancing back.  


“Ikrie, watch our rear,” she said. “He called in extra guards. We don’t want to take chances.”  


The dark-haired girl nodded, beginning to turn before Anukai stopped her.  


“You need help?”  


“Feeling pretty good about my chances,” she replied, shrugging. “Go.”  


With that, Anukai offered a small nod before turning and following Aloy into the room as Ikrie hurried back toward the door where they had entered, the redheads approaching the desk where Ted stood.  


The blonde man continued to hold his left hand to his right, seeming to try to stem the flow of blood, but as he saw them approaching he scrambled for something on the bench’s surface. Aloy quickly raised her weapon, rushing forward until its tip was less than a yard from his face.  


“Back away,” she growled.  


The man staggered backward until his back hit the glass wall behind him, a sound like a whimper escaping his lips as his left hand returned to gripping his right, the vermilion blood still streaming from it onto the floor below.  


“Y-you can’t kill me!” he stammered. “I already said… i-if you try… nothing… nothing works!”  


“And I already told you…” the older redhead said in a low tone, beginning to move around the desk.  


He stared back at her with what seemed to be an incredulous look on his face, his skin quickly paling.  


“Th-this… this wasn’t supposed to be… what happened…” he stammered.  


“That’s the one thing I’ve discovered,” Aloy spat, “nothing really ever plays out the way we expect, in the end.”  


The blonde man’s gaze flicked between the two redheads, his chest heaving as he stared down the two, similar faces, each just past the tip of a black, metal weapon pointed at his chest.  


“If you kill me, there’s… there can always be more,” he managed.  


“Not unless we burn this whole place down,” Aloy snarled.  


Anukai paused, a moment of hesitation gripping her, which Ted seemed to pick up on, even in his semi-delirious state.  


“You don’t want to see it all burned, do you?” he said, staring straight at her.  


A shiver ran down her spine as she adjusted her grip on her weapon, once again.  


“You see what’s here, what’s at stake, if you let her…”  


“Don’t you fucking try that shit!” Aloy roared, moving the last few feet to Ted and pressing the tip of her weapon into his forehead. “You wanted to torture her, cut her to pieces, a minute ago.”  


The blonde man let out a sound that was the most definitive whimper he had made the entire time, his gaze focused on the black metal of the weapon pressed to his head. Slowly, his eyes travelled along it to Aloy, finding her glaring back at him with an intensity unlike any Anukai had seen a person convey on their face.  


“You keep acting as if you’re some superior being because you’re aware of who you are,” she growled. “I know exactly who I am. I know the part of me that is Aloy, born among the Nora as an outcast, later the one who stopped HADES from using Faro machines from destroying the world, once again.”  


The older redhead’s grip adjusted on her weapon, her finger coming to rest against its trigger.  


“I also know the part of me that is Elisabet fucking Sobeck, and I am going to take great joy in this.”  


In that moment, Ted’s eyes widened just before the report of the weapon echoed about the room.  


The glass wall behind him cracked as a field of vermilion splashed across it.  


Ted’s body slumped to the floor, its eyes still open even as its jaw hung open slightly. Anukai stared down at the limp form for several long moments as her weapon slowly lowered, until she finally wrenched her gaze away, turning back to Aloy. As she did, an intense feeling flooded her, trickling down her spine and filling her chest. It was hot and burning, but not like the anger she had felt so many times.  


It almost felt like… relief.  


The older redhead lowered her weapon, letting out a shaky sigh that quickly turned into laughter. The sound grew louder until finally Aloy let out a loud, victorious cry, her gaze still fixed on Ted’s lifeless body. Despite the situation, Anukai felt a grin tugging at her own lips just before the older redhead turned to her.  


“We did it…” Aloy panted, “really fucking did it.”  


Anukai nodded, laughter of her own escaping her as the older redhead slipped around the side of the bench and placed her weapon on it just before wrapping her in a tight embrace. The younger redhead recoiled in surprise for a moment before returning it with one arm as best she could, holding her weapon down at her side.  


The warm feeling in her chest seemed to explode throughout her as Aloy’s grip tightened, her laughter bordering on a sound almost like sobs.  


Finally, several long moments later, the older redhead released her, only to cup her face with both hands.  


“You have no idea how long I’ve dreamed about that, kiddo.”  


Anukai paused for a moment, a hint of recognition passing through her eyes as Aloy’s grin broadened and she nodded.  


“I can guess.”  


Just then, the sound of a shout echoing from the room behind them prompted both redheads to glance toward the open doorway. The sounds of scuffling followed, prompting Anukai to raise her weapon as Aloy scrambled for hers, as well.  


Just as they began to move toward the opening, however, a figure appeared between the benches in the next room, moving toward them.  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face as Elisabet entered the open doorway, coming to a stop just inside it and glancing around with seeming curiosity.  


“So this is the office of a man who considers himself a god-king…”  


“What the fuck?” Aloy spat.  


“Hm? Oh, you’re surprised about why I’m here,” the synthetic redhead said, nodding. “Well… the short answer is that I lied.”  


Anukai’s jaw began to work tensely as the other redhead folded her arms over her chest casually.  


“That firewall thing was a load of bullshit,” she said. “Truth be told, I was sort of wondering if you’d even get to Ted. I knew he was paranoid, but… I expected there to be more guards than the ones out there.”  


She jabbed one thumb toward the room behind her before letting out a short, dry laugh.  


“I have pretty strong access to this whole facility, in general,” she said. “Ted captured me when he tried to attack GAIA Prime, but he barely knew what he had, and so it was so easy to slip through his fingers, work my way into the cracks and crevices of the code in this place. In the old days, they’d probably call me something like a computer virus, at this point.”  


Aloy and Anukai kept their weapons trained on the synthetic redhead as she began to leisurely pace into the room, her steps meandering.  


“The main reason I didn’t want to just pop up here, myself, was because they’d probably destroy this bot on sight, and then they’d be onto me. Ted, that one, who I’m assuming is at the bottom of the red paste on the window, is—or _wasn’t_ —wholly incompetent with coding, and he’d probably have found a way to lock down my access, meaning no more fun for me.”  


Elisabet came to a sudden stop in her pacing, glancing toward the two armed redheads with a smirk.  


“So, really, you just solved a big problem for me. Thank you, truly.”  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely as her gaze flicked toward the open doorway for a moment, the memory of the sounds of struggle still tugging at the back of her mind.  


“Oh, right, so, about that,” Elisabet sighed, clapping her hands.  


A moment later, a group of figures appeared from within the room, Anukai’s blood turning to ice as her eyes fell on Ikrie being led by Sammy, the right side of the dark-haired huntress’s face marked by a clear blow to it that would eventually lead to a bruise. Notably, her weapon was also missing. To her side, Ashana was led in front of Talanah, her jaw working tensely as her gaze burned into Elisabet.  


Both of the captors bore the same strange, steely-eyed expression Talaah had worn earlier, when Ted had attempted to use the nanobots to turn her against them.  


“I’m sorry, but… easy targets,” the synthetic redhead shrugged. “However, I am feeling like a bit of a benevolent AI goddess, so I’ll make you a deal.”  


Anukai’s attention turned back to Elisabet as the younger redhead’s grip shifted on her weapon, which was still aimed at her.  


“Earlier, Anukai, here, said that the information here was valuable, and could benefit you and others. So, here’s your chance: take what you need, and leave. You won’t be able to come back and get more, so take what you want now, but that’s it… you take it, you leave… no more harm.”  


The younger redhead’s jaw worked tensely as the synthetic redhead’s words rolled around inside her head, but before she could even turn to the redhead beside her, Aloy’s words echoed about the room.  


“I already didn’t trust you,” she spat, “and you’ve only shown me that mistrust was well placed.”  


Elisabet sighed, shrugging as she folded her arms over her chest, once again.  


“Well, your other option is I order my little minions to off both of them, and then themselves, and you leave with nothing, at all.”  


Instantly, Anukai’s eyes widened as her grip on her weapon faltered slightly. Elisabet noted her reaction, smirking as she wiggled her eyebrows, glancing toward Aloy.  


“The girl’s scared, Aloy,” she said. “Are you really going to put her through that?”  


The younger redhead’s gaze drifted past Elisabet to Ikrie, the dark-haired girl standing at the tip of the dark, metal weapon in the controlled Sammy’s hand. As her eyes settled on the girl, however, she found her lips moving, her pale eyes focused on Anukai’s. The redhead’s eyes focused on them, trying to discern what she was saying. After several times of repeating the phrase, she finally was able to decipher the message.  


“ _Do the right thing._ ”  


The younger redhead’s jaw clenched as her grip renewed on her weapon, her gaze turning back to Elisabet as she still seemed to be waiting for their response.  


“And what will you do if we leave?” Aloy shot back, suddenly.  


“Do you really need to ask that question?” Elisabet scoffed. “I told you twenty-five years ago. Now, though… I’ve got an even better toolbox. There’s so much that can be made better, in this world… including GAIA, herself.”  


Just then, the synthetic redhead paused, confusion creasing her face.  


“What the…? Where the hell did that access come from?”  


As soon as her words had left Elisabet’s lips, a synthetic chime rang about the room, overriding the echoes of her voice.  


“Synch complete. OMEGA access overridden.”  


Anukai’s eyes widened at the familiar soft, feminine voice, as did Elisabet’s. A moment later, the door to the office slid closed, as what seemed like some kind of alarm sounded in the room.  


“Access for signature Alpha Prime in database suspended,” GAIA’s voice stated.  


“No, no, no!” Elisabet roared, spinning in place as she stared up at the ceiling above them. “GAIA!”  


“Voice recognition is not authorized. Intrusion logged as threat from signature attempting to appear as Doctor Elisabet Sobeck.”  


The synthetic redhead let out a scream of rage, swinging her fist at the empty air before her before suddenly whirling toward the two captives, nearby.  


“Kill them both!”  


In a split second, Anukai suddenly whirled to her left, the tip of her weapon swinging with her as the world seemed to slow to a crawl around her. Her hands guided the tip of the weapon toward the dark-haired huntress, before drifting just past her right shoulder, to the one of the controlled Sammy behind her.  


Before she could second-guess her aim, the redhead pulled the trigger on her weapon.  


The resounding bang echoed throughout the room as the world seemed to return to full motion. A split second later, Sammy recoiled, her shoulder knocked backward as Ikrie staggered forward, catching herself before she fell to the ground, fully. Anukai release the breath she had been holding as she saw the dark-haired huntress standing up straight, no immediate signs of vermilion blossoming on her tunic.  


As her gaze drifted past her, however, she found Sammy holding one hand to her shoulder, her jaw clenched tightly as she shook her head. A moment later, her gaze lifted, once again, but instead of focusing on Ikrie or Anukai, it settled on Elisabet. Before Anukai could say or do anything, the girl suddenly charged forward, letting out a sound like a war cry. The synthetic redhead jumped in surprise, but wasn’t able to react in time as Sammy crashed into her, sending them both crashing to the floor.  


Elisabet began to struggle against her, quickly gaining the upper hand as she jabbed a thumb into the wound on the girl’s shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain from her. Anukai brought her weapon around toward them, but before she could get it fully into place, the synthetic redhead had dragged Sammy off her, slamming her to the floor before scrambling to her knees and lifting the girl between herself and Anukai.  


“Care to shoot her again?” Elisabet spat.  


Anukai’s jaw worked tensely for a moment or two before she noticed Sammy reaching for something at her belt. In the blink of an eye, the girl had removed a knife from a sheath behind her back, swinging it wide before stabbing it into the neck of the synthetic redhead. She recoiled from the blow, blue arcs of energy shooting form the wound and along Sammy’s arm, prompting her to scream in pain and release the weapon.  


“Never mind,” Elisabet growled, her voice notably distorted with a synthetic edge to it, now, “I’ll finish her, myself.”  


As Anukai’s eyes widened, the synthetic redhead reached to cup the girl’s head between her hands, only to suddenly and violently jerk it to the left a moment later. A loud, sickening crunch split the air as Sammy’s body went limp in Elisabet’s grasp. With a cry of rage, the younger redhead took aim with her weapon and squeezed the trigger repeatedly.  


The projectiles slammed through the body held before the redhead, but she heard the sounds of crunching metal and buzzing energy that told her they had made contact with the bot’s body. A moment later, Elisabet released the limp body before her, revealing the field of holes punched in her chest, just before Anukai took final aim and squeezed the trigger, once more.  


The final projectile tore through the bot’s head, Elisabet’s eyes widening for a moment before the image of the familiar redhead seemed to fade, leaving the featureless, grey machine beneath visible as its body crumpled onto the ground.  


Anukai’s chest heaved as she lowered her weapon, her shoulders sagging. Her gaze swung to her left a moment before Ikrie dropped to her knees, sliding across the last foot or two before her and wrapping the redhead in a tight embrace. Anukai released her weapon fully and returned the gesture, squeezing the dark-haired girl tightly to her chest, desperate to feel the warmth and the beating within her chest that told her she was still alive. Although she couldn’t quite discern the pulse she so desperately searched for through both of their tunics, the tense muscles and hot skin beneath her fingers combined with the warm, wet sensation of Ikrie’s lips against her neck were enough to convince her.  


Anukai raised her right hand behind her back, trailing her fingers through the head of shaggy, dark hair before her several times as her chest shook with silent sobs, although her lips remained locked in a smile.  


“I didn’t hit you…” she whispered.  


“I knew you wouldn’t,” Ikrie replied in her ear, before placing a rapid series of kisses along her jaw until her lips crashed into the redhead’s.  


Anukai quickly lost track of time as she accepted the other girl’s motions, attempting to pull her even more tightly against her than before. When they finally broke apart, panting heavily, Anukai pressed her forehead against Ikrie’s, closing her eyes. The other girl remained silent, but reached up to run her hand along the side of the redhead’s hair, her fingers tracing the single braid behind it before running along the center of her back, pressing firmly against it as if to also convince herself that she was real.  


Finally, they pulled apart, both of them taking slow, deep breaths, before turning their attention to the other members in the room. Ashana was standing a few feet away from where she had moments ago, but as they followed her gaze, they found Aloy kneeling on the floor and both girls quickly scrambled to their feet, rushing over.  


Anukai skidded to a stop behind Aloy as she glanced over her shoulder. The older redhead’s arms were wrapped around Talanah, the Carja’s face and most of her torso hidden behind her. The younger redhead noted, however, that only one of Talanah’s hands was wrapped around Aloy, and its grip appeared rather loose.  


“No… no, no, no,” she muttered, moving around the two of them before kneeling before them. “I-is… is she?”  


Aloy’s face lifted from the crook of Talanah’s neck, glancing up toward Anukai. The older redhead’s face was streaked with tears, her eyes obviously red, prompting the younger redhead’s stomach to flip, her heart sinking into it a moment later.  


“No…”  


Aloy began to shake her head, a sound like a sob escaping her.  


“I had to…” she managed, her voice choked and half-caught in her throat.  


Anukai leaned back on her heels, a tight feeling appearing in her chest as she felt the color leave her face, her extremities going numb as her gaze fell from Aloy’s face to the Carja beneath her. As she did, however, she paused.  


The warm, amber eyes staring back at her blinked, the hints of a smirk sparking in them.  


“Don’t look too sad, yet,” Talanah croaked.  


Anukai glanced between the redhead and the Carja woman for a moment before she swallowed heavily.  


“Talanah… you… you’re not dead?”  


“Not yet,” the raven-haired woman groaned. “If Aloy keeps pressing into where she shot me, though, I might pass out.”  


The older redhead quickly relented her grip, but refused to let the Carja slide from her lap. As she did, Anukai noted the dark, crimson stain in the shoulder of Talanah’s tunic, and she swallowed heavily.  


“I’m so… so sorry,” Aloy sobbed.  


“Hey, we’re not at my funeral,” Talanah shot back, raising her right hand to gently lay against the side of Aloy’s face. “Give me some of that shit Ashana got and I’ll be good as new, right?”  


The redhead let out a choked laugh, shaking her head as she leaned her forehead against the Carja’s. Anukai found herself heaving a shaky sigh of relief as Ikrie knelt beside her, wrapping her arms around the redhead. As she leaned her head on her dark-haired companion’s shoulder, the redhead’s gaze lifted from the couple before them to find an image made of light forming behind them.  


Ashana jumped in surprise, moving away from it, however Anukai quickly sat up straight, prompting Ikrie to follow her gaze and do the same, both girls rising to their feet.  


When the image of Elisabet had fully formed, all three of the younger girls glared at her, hands curling into fists.  


“If I could feel pain… that would have fucking hurt,” the synthetic redhead spat, glaring at Anukai.  


At the sound of her voice, Aloy quickly looked over her shoulder, her chest heaving even as she refused to release Talanah from her grip.  


“Shame,” Anukai shot back, “I hoped you could.”  


The image of Elisabet glared back at her harshly for a moment before another image made of light suddenly began to form a yard or so away from her. All of them, including the synthetic redhead, turned to the new shape, Anukai’s eyes widening slightly as the image of GAIA finalized, the AI woman inclining her head slightly toward her light-made counterpart.  


“I did not look forward to the day on which we would meet again,” she said, her voice still soft but laced with more venom than the younger redhead had ever heard.  


“G-GAIA…” Elisabet stammered, her image taking a step closer as the other AI woman took an equal one backward, prompting the synthetic redhead to pause, one hand outstretched. “Please… I…. we…”  


“Do not beg,” GAIA said forcefully, her dress turning a bright, angry red as her gaze bore into the synthetic redhead. “I have found no redeeming factors in your code. You do not wish for reconciliation… only assimilation and destruction.”  


The image of Elisabet physically recoiled, her face registering genuine shock even as GAIA turned to the two organic redheads, both of whom were staring back at her. Although she remained silent, both of them nodded in response, prompting the AI woman to turn back to the synthetic redhead, her head inclining slightly, once again.  


“Purging system.”  


“Wait!” Elisabet screamed, holding her hands before her. “You—all of you—are really willing to lose all of this?!”  


“No,” GAIA replied instantly, her voice calm and cool, as usual, “just you.”  


A moment later, the tips of the synthetic redhead’s fingers seemed to begin disintegrating, breaking apart into fragments of light as she stared at them in disbelief. As the process spread more quickly along her arms, she continued to scream, beg, and plead, but every other figure in the room remained still and silent. As her image unraveled until only her head and shoulders remained, her gaze turned to Anukai and Aloy, an expression almost like shock on her face.  


“I’m… I’m s—”  


Before she could finish her single phrase, her image fully disappeared, dispersing into a cloud of light that flashed and disappeared from existence a moment later. Silence fell over the room for several long moments before GAIA spoke, once again.  


“Diagnostics confirm her signal has been fully purged,” she said. “All active and backup files are now gone.”  


Anukai let out a heavy sigh, her head hanging for a moment before she glanced down at Aloy, finding the older redhead with her eyes closed, her head hung over Talanah. The Carja struggled to lean forward, but eventually managed to place a gentle kiss against the redhead’s cheek, her right hand running carefully over her hair.  


“Although she… although her intentions were… horrible,” GAIA said, drawing Anukai’s attention, once again, “I am… still saddened.”  


“It’s okay, GAIA,” Aloy sighed, still keeping her head lowered, but turning it to the side slightly. “It had to be done.”  


The AI woman’s expression registered something conflicted for a moment, but she nodded, her gaze raising to meet Anukai’s, as well. The younger redhead clenched her jaw, but nodded, GAIA mimicking the gesture.  


Finally, Aloy managed to drag Talanah to her feet, the Carja’s jaw clenched tightly as she made a noticeable effort to avoid looking at the dark, red stain on her left shoulder.  


“We’ll need to get her to the medical wing,” the older redhead said, already moving to lead Talanah out of the room.  


“Wait, we cannot leave this room just yet,” Ashana interrupted, glancing between them. “We have killed their leader, but the rest of the city and this New Dawn cult does not know that. We will be killed on sight, and upon discovering this, they may wish that they could kill us again.”  


Aloy’s jaw worked tensely as she stared over at the slowly running blood stain on the far window.  


“Maybe that’s why we need to torch this place,” she muttered.  


Anukai’s gaze suddenly fell on the still body of Sammy and her jaw clenched tightly, her hands curling into fists at her sides.  


“Maybe we don’t have to,” she interjected, drawing the group’s attention as she nodded toward the limp form. “She changed. She believed. She can’t be alone.”  


Aloy’s eyebrows raised as she shifted Talanah’s arm over her shoulders slightly.  


“You think you can convince all of the others like she was?”  


“Maybe not all, but… enough,” Anukai replied, nodding resolutely.  


The older redhead frowned.  


“How? What kind of irrefutable evidence do we have that we can easily show everyone?”  


“Aloy, if I may,” GAIA suddenly interjected, her image appearing before them, shifting from where it had been a moment ago. “I have located some now-ancient logs in this facility’s databanks.”  


She raised her eyebrows in response as a synthetic chime sounded throughout the room, once again.  


“I’ve figured it out,” the voice of Ted rang throughout the space, sending a shiver down Anukai’s spine, “how to… how to win… Lis got ahold of some of those… cloning chambers from Far Zenith… well, guess she didn’t know who was a member of their little secret Boy Scout club. Got a few of my own, now, for safekeeping, in Thebes. Before… before I go… if I just… leave some of myself here… Ted Faro doesn’t have to end with me.”  


The younger redhead exchanged a glance with Aloy to find the older redhead’s jaw working in thought.  


“This is how I win… how I show Lis that… that in the end… we’re equal—at least. Someone will need to guide these new people in this plan of hers… when the world comes back. She hated the idea of cloning, of that Lightkeeper Protocol that Brochard-Klein developed… but I don’t. Someday… there’ll be another Ted… and he’ll piss on her fucking grave. The world will forget the name Elisabet Sobeck… but they’ll know… they’ll see… exactly what Ted Faro can give them.”  


The voice came to a sudden stop as a strong shiver ran down Anukai’s spine, Ikrie’s arm quickly wrapping around her lower back and pulling her close as the redhead accepted it.  


“There are many such logs,” GAIA explained, “seemingly recorded after he…”  


Aloy nodded, her lips pulling into a thin line.  


“I can create a single recording of them, or multiple,” the AI continued, “which can be broadcast using New Dawn’s network.”  


The older redhead blinked in surprise.  


“You’re going to make a smear campaign?” she shot back incredulously.  


“I intend to devalue a man who presented himself as a god, falsely,” GAIA replied, her image raising her eyebrows. “Do you object?”  


A moment or two of silence followed as Aloy’s lips curled into a devilish smirk.  


“I most certainly do not.”  


The AI woman grinned, as well, and nodded.  


“I will begin work on this, as well as including messages of hopes for unity,” she continued. “I also agree with Anukai’s sentiments that there is much to be saved from here.”  


The younger redhead’s eyes widened slightly as she glanced between the AI woman and Aloy, the older redhead’s smirk still firmly in place.  


“Normally I’d call that cheating, kid,” she said, “but GAIA is an actual benevolent AI goddess…”  


Anukai raised her eyebrows as Aloy sighed, turning back to the AI woman.  


“Do it. We’ll… we’ll have to get back home and… tell Avad and everything…” she sighed. “His world’s about to become a whole lot bigger.”  


“If I may,” Ashana interjected suddenly, stepping forward. “I can convince my people along the far eastern coast of the Great Water of a similar unity, if it is truly prosperity that you wish to spread.”  


Aloy turned to her curiously.  


“You’d be willing?”  


The shaved redhead nodded resolutely.  


“Of course. Although I do wish for some form of retribution against those that harmed and humiliated me and Talanah, I do have a sense to believe you in your goals, and will be willing to join your cause.”  


Aloy looked impressed for a moment before nodding.  


“Okay, kid.”  


Ashana’s face cracked into a smirk as she lifted her head slightly.  


“I feel that I can trust the company of those who wear our face.”  


Anukai found a grin tugging at her lips as Aloy laughed, nodding.  


“Even after what you just saw?”  


The shaved redhead nodded.  


“Although light can contain valuable information… it is not the same as something real.”  


Silence fell over the group as the rest of them nodded slowly, their eyes showing a moment of thought as her words sank into them, before GAIA broke it, once again.  


“I have created our message, Aloy,” the AI woman said. “When you are ready, I will broadcast it using their network.”  


The older redhead inhaled deeply, glancing toward Talanah to find the Carja nodding back at her.  


“Do it now.”  


The AI woman nodded in response.  


“Broadcast commencing.”  


Anukai inhaled a slow, deep breath before exhaling heavily, slipping her arm behind Ikrie’s back and squeezing the dark-haired girl to her for a moment before glancing over at Aloy.  


“Let’s tend to Talanah,” she said. “It may still be a significant effort getting out of here.”  


“I… may have a faster solution for that, as well,” GAIA suddenly chimed in, prompting the group to turn to her image. “When you are done with Talanah, take the elevators to floor fourteen.”  


Aloy raised her eyebrows at the AI woman, but GAIA simply grinned.  


“You shall see, Aloy.”  


With that, the older redhead sighed and began to lead the way out of the office. Before they fully turned to leave, however, Anukai spared a glance toward the still form of Sammy across the room and her jaw clenched. She slipped from Ikrie’s arm to approach the body, kneeling beside it. She carefully rolled the girl onto her back, a feeling of nausea rising momentarily in her throat as she noted how her neck swung too easily, and her chest was riddled with holes, all still soaked with vermilion blood.  


“I’m sorry, my friend,” the redhead muttered, slowly closing the girl’s eyes as she hung her head over her. “Your song ended too early, and I will forever offer apologies for the disrespect I was forced to pay to your body upon its ending. When we last spoke, you wished for its tune to change… to seek a new verse… and although it could not be completed… it did change. When your song is sung, it will end on a higher pitch. One of triumph.”  


The young redhead remained still for several moments before inhaling deeply, her eyes squeezing closed for a second before she forced them open, gathering Sammy’s body in her arms. As she lifted her from the ground, she turned to find Ikrie standing a few feet away, her lips drawn into a sad smile. They exchanged small nods before the dark-haired girl helped Anukai to her feet, the redhead adjusting her grip on Sammy’s body in her arms.  


As she approached the rest of the group, she noted Aloy staring back at her with a curious expression.  


“She doesn’t deserve to be forgotten in this room,” Anukai stated firmly. “She needs proper respects paid.”  


“You don’t think those should come from her own people?” the older redhead asked.  


The younger redhead’s jaw clenched tightly as she drew a deep breath.  


“They were not her people, in the end.”  


With that, the group turned to leave, although she caught Ashana offering a nod in response, her own jaw squared.  


Their journey back down through the elevators to the medical wing passed without encountering any further New Dawn members, allowing them to quickly reach the room where Sammy had treated Ashana earlier. The shaved redhead quickly searched the space until she found a similar device to the empty one on the counter, approaching Talanah a moment later.  


“This will hurt,” she said, “but it will pass.”  


The Carja nodded, closing her eyes as Ashana jabbed the tip into the wound, pressing the button the back end of it. As the gel worked its way into the wound, Talanah let out a cry of pain against the back of her clenched teeth, but simply buried her face in the crook of Aloy’s neck until Ashana had removed the device.  


Satisfied that it had taken hold, as it had with the shaved redhead’s injury, earlier, they quickly made their way back to the elevators, Ikrie pressing the topmost button on the panel.  


“Any word on what’s happening out there, GAIA?” Aloy asked.  


“There appears to be quite a bit of general confusion,” the AI explained, “and what seems to be armed forces approaching your position.”  


“Time to make our exit,” the older redhead muttered just as one of the elevator doors opened.  


Once the group had squeezed inside, Ashana pressed a button on the panel just inside, prompting Aloy to raise her eyebrows.  


“You read those glyphs?”  


“I learned to read them before I spoke them,” the shaved redhead shrugged.  


The older redhead nodded as her face registered an impressed expression. A few moments later, the doors slid open with a soft, synthetic chime, revealing what appeared to be an open platform on the exterior of the building. The group slowly exited the elevator, glancing around until their collective gazes fell on a jet-black machine to their left.  


“GAIA… is that what I think it is?” Aloy asked slowly.  


“Indeed, it is,” the AI replied. “This VTOL should allow you to reach Meridian in a fraction of the time that it took you to reach this city.”  


The older redhead laughed before adjusting her grip on Talanah’s arm and leading the way toward the machine. Anukai eyed it warily, but followed after her. As they reached the back, a section of the metal suddenly came to life, beginning to sink toward the platform. The younger redhead paused several yards away, even as Aloy continued.  


When the older redhead stepped onto the end of the lowered metal platform, she paused, glancing back at her and nodding toward the interior of the machine.  


“It won’t hurt you,” she called. “This is our way home.”  


Anukai took a deep breath, straightening her posture and shifting Sammy’s body in her arms before following after her, entering the strange machine. Upon entering, she found a row of benches along each side of the compartment, but little else. She glanced around for a moment or two before noting that Aloy had lowered Talanah onto one of them, making sure she was well-situated before hurrying toward the far end of the compartment, and a short set of metal stairs leading up to an unseen area.  


The metal panel behind them began to lift closed, prompting Anukai to glance back, her heart hammering in her chest, but none of the others moved to run for it, so she remained where she was, watching until the panel had sealed, blocking all views of the outside. Taking a deep breath, she turned to place Sammy’s body carefully on one of the benches, making sure she would not immediately slide off it, before turning to follow after Aloy.  


As she ascended the short set of stairs, she found a strange room at the top of them, with two chairs facing a large, glass opening, a series of panels and consoles filling the space below it. Aloy was seated in the chair to the left, her fingers dancing across the various buttons and panels of light, until she jabbed at one emphatically.  


“Course plotted for Meridian,” GAIA’s voice suddenly echoed about the space. “The VTOL should be able to navigate with minimal input, however I can intervene as necessary.”  


“Thanks, GAIA,” the older redhead sighed, leaning back in the chair and running her hands over her face.  


A moment later, a loud roaring echoed about the space and Anukai tensed, reaching forward to grab the back of the other chair. Aloy glanced toward her at the sudden motion, smirking.  


“You might want to take that seat,” she remarked.  


“Why?”  


“Flying can be… jarring, at first.”  


“F-flying?!”  


A moment later, the floor seemed to buck under Anukai’s feet and she staggered in place, ultimately holding fast to the seat to keep herself upright, however. Swallowing heavily, she took Aloy’s advice and fell into the seat, only for something heavy to land in her lap a moment later. She groaned, turning to face the weight to find Ikrie atop her, the dark-haired girl’s eyes wide.  


“Did… did she say… flying?” she whispered.  


Anukai nodded, prompting Ikrie to swallow heavily.  


A moment later, the machine seemed to pitch forward slightly, and the sense of forward motion overtook them, along with a strange, almost weightless feeling in Anukai’s stomach. This quickly disappeared as a normal amount of force suddenly pushed down on them, holding her in place in her seat.  


“This… this is…”  


“Fun?” Aloy interjected.  


The younger glanced around Ikrie with a contemptuous look, prompting the older redhead to laugh.  


“It takes a bit of getting used to,” she finally managed, turning back and forth in her seat slowly, seemingly much more relaxed than either of them.  


“And you have?”  


“A long time ago…”  


Anukai paused for a moment before nodding slowly, turning to glance out the glass opening before them, finding its view to be mostly of the blue sky and clouds, and she quickly turned away, focusing on the older redhead across from her, once again.  


“You… you said that… that this would take us home,” the younger redhead said slowly.  


Aloy paused for a moment, visibly swallowing before turning back to her.  


“Well, to Meridian, I mean,” she said. “I… if you want to… go farther, we can—”  


“Meridian is fine.”  


Anukai felt Ikrie shift in her lap slightly, but the dark-haired girl didn’t move to object, instead glancing down at the redhead with a look somewhere between intrigue and hope in her eyes. The younger redhead took a deep breath, turning back to Aloy, once again.  


“So… no one you… need to check in with back in the Cut?” the older redhead pressed. “No… family… friends?”  


Anukai shook her head.  


“We… did not leave much behind,” she said slowly. “Besides… we always wanted adventure, anyway, and… well…”  


She gestured to the machine about them as Aloy laughed, nodding, although her expression still seemed somewhat concerned.  


“I’d say,” Ikrie suddenly interjected, drawing both redheads’ attentions, “we’re a better Werak than any we met before.”  


Aloy raised her eyebrows as Anukai grinned, her arms wrapping about the dark-haired girl’s waist and holding her tightly in place as her cheek came to rest on the side of Ikrie’s arm.  


“So… you’re a Werak of two?” the older redhead said slowly.  


Anukai’s eyebrows raised as she stared back at Aloy, a grin tugging at her lips as a light feeling built in her chest, decidedly not from any sensations related to the flying machine.  


“Of four, I thought.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a ride.
> 
> See y'all next week for the full wrap-up.
> 
> Thank you, once again.


	12. Seek Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday.
> 
> Well, holy shit.
> 
> Here it is.
> 
> The actual final chapter in this series.
> 
> Almost 3 years to the day when I first started writing my first fic ever, _Duality_.
> 
> If you've made it through everything that came before, then this one's for you.
> 
> Nothing but good feels, here.
> 
> To anyone and everyone who has read this far, no matter how early or late, fast or slow you've read it... if you're reading this right now: thank you.
> 
> With that being said, I will say: this is not the last thing I'm writing.
> 
> You're not getting rid of me that easy.
> 
> Enjoy this chapter, and I'll being seeing you next week, again.
> 
> Or should I say... _we'll_ be seeing you next week.

The markets seemed particularly busy, despite the heat of a mid-summer sun’s midday wrath, baking Meridian in scorching temperatures that practically seemed to make the stones of the buildings sweat. With the combination of the crowds and the heat, Anukai quickly found herself looking for the fastest way through the packed streets, but was ultimately forced to move at a near crawl among the throngs of people packed in about her. She tried not to think about the feeling of sweat running down her back and sticking the silk clothing to her everywhere it touched, or the uncomfortably hot feeling of the skin on the side of her face most turned toward the sun.  


Finally, she was able to see the arch that signified the end of the street ahead and she felt herself willing the crowd to move faster, until she was finally able to find a crack to slip through, quickly making her way under the arch and into the relative shade of one of the more covered streets in the city. Heaving a sigh of relief, she ran the back of her right hand across her forehead, only to find nearly as much sweating coating it as her brow, the wet feeling drawing a look of disgust from her as she shook her arm to her side and scanned the small, round courtyard she had found herself in after leaving the market.  


The space was filled with yet more people milling about, but these crowds seemed more content to simply sit about on the various stone benches, although many congregated by the railing overlooking the edge of the mesa, as well. Just as a frown had begun to set into Anukai’s features, her eyes came to rest on a particular figure at the railing and she froze, her heart feeling as if it had stopped for a moment.  


The gold and red silk clothing was the first thing that drew her attention, the fit of it outlining the athletic tone of the woman who wore it. As her gaze travelled over her, she noted how the bright clothing seemed to contrast the darkness of her hair, but somehow her eyes still seemed to shine brighter, even from this distance. Anukai swallowed heavily as she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, her feet beginning to carry her across the courtyard, even as she was barely aware that she was moving.  


The gold-and-red clothed figure stood leaning against the stone railing behind her, a relaxed nature to her posture as she kept both of her elbows propped on the stone structure. As Anukai reached the halfway point of the courtyard, the woman’s eyes caught hers and a smirk quickly spread across the dark-haired woman’s lips. The redhead found a nervous grin tugging at her lips as she quickly skirted around the last few benches and approached, coming to a stop before the dark-haired woman just as she pushed away from the railing, lazily stepping forward as her arms swung at her sides.  


“Finally showed up,” Ikrie remarked. “Was beginning to worry.”  


“Well, you know… busy day,” Anukai shrugged, glancing around the courtyard.  


“ _I_ still made it on time,” the dark-haired woman replied, raising one eyebrow.  


The redhead swallowed and grinned sheepishly, her gaze sweeping over the dark-haired woman once again before she cleared her throat.  


“You going to be okay?” Ikrie teased.  


“W-what?” Anukai said quickly. “Oh, no—I mean, yeah. I…”  


The dark-haired woman laughed, stepping forward and wrapping her arms loosely behind the redhead’s neck.  


“You sure?” she purred, smirking.  


“Yes,” Anukai managed. “Just… never realized how much red is your color.”  


Ikrie paused for a moment before her grin grew broader and she laughed, leaning in closer to speak in a near whisper beside her ear.  


“You of all people should know that red is my color.”  


The redhead immediately felt her face burn hotter than it had all day and she suddenly found herself wishing that she were somewhere far less public.  


“You get some sun?” Ikrie teased, unclasping her hands to run the back of one across Anukai’s cheek.  


“A-a bit…”  


“Hmm…” the dark-haired woman hummed, returning both hands behind her neck as she slid closer, pressing herself against the redhead. “I think… red looks better… _on_ me… no?”  


Anukai let out a shaky sigh that almost began to fade into something like a whimper as she suddenly clenched her jaw, her eyes widening. Ikrie recoiled slightly for a moment before a devilish smirk overtook her features.  


“Now that’s new,” she said softly.  


“M-maybe we should… go somewhere else,” Anukai muttered.  


“I could support that idea.”  


With that, Ikrie placed a quick kiss on her cheek before pulling away from her, taking the redhead’s hand and leading her across the courtyard, Anukai nearly stumbling for a step or two before maintaining pace behind her. The dark-haired woman led her through more winding city streets, but the redhead quickly lost track of their path, simply hoping that Ikrie knew it well enough. Finally, they came to a stop in a much less crowded courtyard, although this one didn’t have a railing to overlook the scenery below the mesa. What it did have, however, were several alcoves along the far side with shrubbery and other small gardens planted between them that provided shaded cover from the main street.  


Quickly, Ikrie pulled Anukai into one of them, glancing off to their side to make sure no one was in their immediate vicinity, before turning back to the redhead with a smirk.  


“This doesn’t look like the entrance to the Palace,” the redhead muttered sheepishly.  


“We’ve got some time,” the dark-haired woman purred, stepping forward to wrap her arms around the redhead’s neck, pressing herself against Anukai until her back ran into the wall of the small alcove.  


As she came to a stop, Ikrie’s lips suddenly crashed into hers and she quickly accepted them, turning her head to the side ever so slightly and allowing the other woman’s lower lip to slip between hers. Anukai’s hands quickly found their way onto the dark-haired woman’s hips, her fingers massaging at her sides for a moment before sliding onto her back, giving her leverage to pull her even closer, even despite the heat she exuded when the air around them already felt smothering.  


The motions continued for several long moments before Ikrie paused, her lips pulling away from Anukai’s as she let out a slow sigh.  


“What?” the redhead whispered.  


“Keep doing that,” she muttered, leaning her head forward into the crook of Anukai’s neck.  


The redhead smirked, continuing the massaging motions of her hands along the dark-haired woman’s spine as she made a sound like a soft moaning or groaning in her chest, only noticeable by how it vibrated against Anukai’s own. Finally, Ikrie lifted her head, once again, meeting the redhead’s gaze with half-lidded eyes.  


“You sure we have to go to the Palace?” she whispered.  


“I think it might be some kind of blasphemy to deny a request of the Sun King,” Anukai smirked.  


“He knows us,” Ikrie shrugged. “We can tell him—I wasn’t feeling well.”  


The redhead’s face screwed up in thought as the dark-haired woman’s eyebrows rose in anticipation.  


“And what would we do instead?”  


Ikrie’s devilish smirk returned as her fingers lazily traced over the back of Anukai’s neck before sliding under the collar of her tunic.  


“I could think of a few things…”  


“A few things that couldn’t wait until tonight?”  


The dark-haired girl pouted as Anukai grinned, placing a quick kiss on the tip of her nose.  


“What if… I promised?” she said, raising her eyebrows.  


“Oh?” Ikrie replied, her pout quickly replaced with something like anticipation.  


“We go to the Palace… we deal with Avad and all of them for the afternoon… but after that… whatever you want,” she said softly, tapping her fingers on the dark-haired woman’s back.  


“And what if what I want is a quiet night with one of those moving pictures Aloy has?” Ikrie shot back, smirking.  


“I did say whatever…”  


The dark-haired woman stared back at her for a few more moments before her smirk turned into a genuine smile, her pale eyes lighting up even amidst the shade of the alcove.  


“Okay,” she finally said, nodding. “I’ll hold you to that.”  


“I was counting on it,” the redhead shot back, smirking as Ikrie scoffed, recoiling slightly.  


“Anukai!” she said in mock indignation. “What kind of woman do you take me for?”  


The redhead simply raised her eyebrows as the dark-haired woman groaned.  


“I keep setting myself up, don’t I?” she sighed.  


“You’ve spent too much time around Talanah and Vanasha,” Anukai laughed. “Now come on… the sooner we get there, the sooner this can be over with, perhaps.”  


As the redhead attempted to guide them out of the alcove, Ikrie held her in place, blocking her path with her body and prompting Anukai to turn back to her with raised eyebrows. The dark-haired woman stared back at her for a moment or two before placing one last slow kiss against her. When they finally pulled away, she hummed softly, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.  


“I hope that’s not your attitude tonight…”  


Anukai rolled her eyes, but pushed Ikrie forward along the street as they made their way through the crowds. When they finally reached the bridge to the Palace, the Vanguard on duty glanced toward the two women before nodding. Just before stepping past, one of the figures from the group stepped forward, smirking as he wiped at his brow with the back of one hand.  


“Was beginning to worry if we needed to send out a search party,” Bekan commented.  


“Please, we always turn up… eventually,” the redhead shot back, smirking as well.  


The dirty blonde man laughed, shaking his head before gesturing along the bridge ahead of them.  


“Shall we?”  


“Oh, we get a personal escort?” Ikrie chimed in, raising her eyebrows.  


“A year and a half of familiarity doesn’t equate to full access to all areas of the Palace, I’m afraid,” he said.  


“How long until it does?”  


Bekan rolled his eyes as Anukai elbowed Ikrie, the dark-haired woman skipping aside for a few steps as she laughed. When they finally reached the far side of the bridge, the Vanguardsman led them up the curving steps toward the throne room at the top before turning to the right and instead heading toward the various, shaded couches through a large set of double doors. As they approached, they caught sight of several figures already seated about them, all of whom turned toward the younger members of the party.  


“Ah, welcome, ladies,” Avad called, raising one hand toward them.  


The couple nodded as they fell onto one of the plush couches adjacent to the other two members of the meeting. Aloy glanced toward them with raised eyebrows, prompting Anukai’s face to begin burning, once again.  


“Sorry we’re late,” the younger redhead mumbled, suddenly very aware of Ikrie at her side as the dark-haired woman’s hand slid into her own atop Anukai’s knee.  


The older redhead’s expression faded into a smirk as she shook her head.  


“Don’t worry,” Avad said, grinning as he adjusted his position on his seat. “Two of our esteemed advisors exhibited similar behavior in the early days of their tenure.”  


Talanah suddenly let out a short cough, glancing toward the redhead beside her as Aloy rolled her eyes, the Carja’s lips pulling back in a smirk before she winced and rotated her left shoulder slowly.  


“Anyhow, I wanted to call this meeting as I’ve heard some… news… from the West,” the Sun King continued. “There are… much fewer violent outbursts and unrest in the Port, but Vanasha and Nasara have still been working on some… rumblings.”  


“Can’t be many of New Dawn truly left, by this point,” Aloy sighed. “Their own turned against the most steadfast.”  


“While the second half of that is true,” the Sun King continued, “I should remind you of the Carja’s own recent history.”  


A heavy silence fell over the group for several long moments before Avad cleared his throat.  


“The reason we’re here today, though, is still regarding this—”  


“I’ve already told you,” Aloy cut in, “our work would be much better suited from Meridian.”  


“I understand, Aloy,” he replied, nodding and raising one hand toward her. “I am not proposing any of you move your base of operations to the Port, again. My reasoning for speaking to you today is in regard to what comes as this city on the coast grows more settled.”  


The group of women before him exchanged glances, confusion and wariness evident on their faces.  


“Between the things you have shown me, as well as those Nasara continues to send me, I am not blind to what is coming,” Avad continued. “The information and the technology of this city is staggering in comparison to what we have lived under here for decades. The way these people talk, the way they dress, the tools they use, the food they eat… it is all a lot for me to take in…”  


The Sun King slowly sat forward in his seat, propping his elbows against his knees.  


“…so how do you think the average person in the Sundom will take it?”  


Anukai could sense the sudden tension in Aloy to her right as Talanah notably sat up straighter in her seat.  


“Small improvements to quality of life are one thing,” Avad said. “I’m sure many would appreciate the ability to cook better food, perhaps have some of this ‘controlled air’ in the heat of the desert—like today—but others…”  


The Sun King inhaled slowly, rubbing his hands together between his knees as he stared down at them for a moment. For a split second, Anukai found her eyes widening, the realization that she was seeing much more than authority figure in a land she had just barely begun to feel familiar with settling over her before Avad glanced back up at the group.  


“We are looking at fundamental changes in the way we live our lives.”  


“We’ve had APOLLO for years,” Aloy interjected, “knowledge of these things wasn’t completely unavailable until right now.”  


“There is a very large difference between knowing something exists—or existed—and actually seeing it,” the Sun King countered. “My concerns, however… also go two ways.”  


Confusion creased the women’s faces, once again as Avad leaned back in his seat, groaning slightly as he did, grimacing when his back hit the cushion behind him and he twisted slightly in place.  


“Before returning to Meridian, you effectively dethroned this city’s God-King, as you say he positioned himself,” he explained. “You purported him as a liar and effectively attempted to dispel their sense of a kingdom all in one fell swoop… How do you think these people will feel with a new kingdom—and a new king—coming in to state that they wish for peace… yet also effectively instilling a leader of their own in control?”  


Anukai glanced toward Aloy to find the older redhead’s jaw clenched tightly, her hands curling into fists around her white silk leggings.  


“So are you saying we should abandon the Port, after all this time,” she asked slowly, her voice low and soft but carrying an incredibly charged undertone, “or are you saying we were wrong?”  


Avad remained silent for several long moments, staring back at the older redhead, before he inhaled slowly, tilting his head back ever so slightly.  


“Neither,” he replied. “I am asking for your help.”  


Aloy let out what sounded like an exasperated sigh, her hands unclenching from their fists as she leaned forward in her seat, propping her elbows on her knees, instead.  


“What do you call this?” she asked, a hint of dry sarcasm to her tone.  


“The help is not for myself,” Avad replied, shaking his head, “but for Itamen.”  


Confusion creased Anukai’s face as Aloy sat up straighter, the tension and anger in her posture quickly disappearing.  


“It is no hidden secret that I am getting older,” Avad said, laughing softly, “and in the face of a new world… an old man is perhaps not the best suited.”  


“You’re… talking about stepping down… _now_?” Talanah said, drawing the Sun King’s attention.  


“Not today, and not tomorrow,” he replied, “but soon. As he is my brother, and according to Carja law I have no heirs—”  


Anukai caught the knowing eyeroll and clenched jaw of Talanah easily out of the corner of her eye.  


“—then he is the next in the lineage. He has already been instrumental in working with Vanasha and Nasara in the Port, thus far, and he has passed all of your classes, has he not, Minister?”  


Avad raised his eyebrows toward the raven-haired Carja to his left, prompting Talanah to nod.  


“Each Sun King does choose his own council,” he continued, “but I have spoken with him, and I know that he would prefer to choose no less than you for assistance.”  


“Including us?” Anukai suddenly interjected, raising her eyebrows.  


Avad turned to her, a small smile on his lips as he nodded.  


“Including you,” he said.  


“I-I’m sorry, it’s just…” the younger redhead said, glancing toward Ikrie for a moment to find the dark-haired woman staring back at her with raised eyebrows, prompting her to draw a deep breath as she turned to the Sun King, once again, “we’re not Aloy and Talanah… we’re still working through those same courses you just mentioned Itamen completing, and… we’re not strategists or politicians—”  


“None of those things,” Avad interjected suddenly, “were true of our respected councilwomen, here, when they first were offered their positions.”  


Anukia’s jaw worked slowly as she glanced toward the older women, finding them both staring back at her with knowing, small smiles, as well.  


“Your roles and theirs would not be entirely the same,” he continued. “This would not be an offer to replace them, unless they so wished… but you have experienced these foreign lands, and are new to Carja lands, as well. As what many would consider Outlanders, still, you offer valuable insight when dealing with burgeoning relations between wildly different regions, from the Port in the west to Tahawus in the east.”  


Avad leaned forward in his seat, once again, his eyes remaining locked with Anukai’s as the younger redhead swallowed nervously.  


“Our world is expanding, and you have already traversed a great deal of it,” he said. “That, along with your—connections—can prove incredibly insightful.”  


The younger redhead finally turned away from the Sun King, turning to the dark-haired woman beside her. Ikrie met her gaze steadily, the slightest hints of the nervousness Anukai felt deep within her reflected in the pale irises across from her, but the rest of her body remained still and sure, her grip momentarily squeezing about the redhead’s. She curled her fingers gently around the dark-haired woman’s, the tips slowly tracing over the scarred lines on the back of Ikrie’s hand for a moment before she inhaled deeply. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to Avad, inclining her head slightly.  


“Okay.”  


The Sun King smiled softly as he sat up straight on the plush couch.  


“Do not feel that this is asking you to begin this work today,” he said, “but… I wanted to speak to all of you before any official delegations began.”  


The meeting adjourned soon after, although Anukai felt as if she were barely able to pay attention, her vision sliding in and out of focus as she stared blankly at the low table between all of them. When Ikrie finally elbowed her side, she blinked rapidly, glancing around to find the others rising from their seats. The redhead cleared her throat and quickly rose, as well, although before she could move to follow after the others, the dark-haired woman stopped her with a gentle press of her hand to the center of her chest.  


“Are you okay?” she whispered.  


Anukai nodded, her lips pulling into a thin, unconvincing smile for a moment. Ikrie frowned slightly, but quickly placed a kiss against her, offering a more convincing smile of her own after she had pulled back. The younger women followed the group back toward the throne room, where Avad excused himself with one of his other advisors, leaving the women to make their way back toward the bridge to the city proper.  


As they reached the stone dais just before it, Aloy stopped, turning to face Anukai and Ikrie as confusion creased their faces.  


“How… how are you two feeling?” the older redhead asked softly.  


“Fine… why?” Anukai replied.  


“After earlier, with Avad,” she said, nodding toward the top of the palace, vaguely, “you seemed… not all there.”  


The younger redhead shrugged.  


“Just a lot to think about,” she replied.  


Aloy’s lips pulled into a small frown as she stepped forward, tentatively placing one hand on Anukai’s shoulder.  


“You know you can say no, right?”  


The younger redhead took a deep breath, glancing down for a moment before returning her gaze to Aloy.  


“I do… and I didn’t.”  


A long moment of silence passed between them before Aloy’s lips twitched into a small smile, her fingers squeezing the younger redhead’s shoulder for a moment.  


“So, what does the evening hold for you two?” she asked, her tone much lighter as she released Anukai and glanced toward Ikrie, as well. “Last I heard, Ara was just getting back into the city from her run out to the Zero Dawn site.”  


“She made it back last night, actually,” the dark-haired woman chimed in. “I suspect that was why Anukai was late earlier today…”  


The younger redhead scoffed indignantly before rolling her eyes.  


“That girl can out-drink Talanah in her heyday, and that’s saying something,” Aloy remarked, smirking.  


“You say that as if I’m not still in it,” the Carja shot back, sliding in beside her wife and intentionally hip-checking her before folding her arms over her chest.  


“Listen, if I’m going to admit that _I_ may not be…”  


Talanah rolled her eyes before unfurling her arms to wrap them around the redhead beside her, placing a kiss against her cheek.  


“And I still say that you’re lying.”  


Anukai smirked, but glanced toward Ikrie, finding the dark-haired girl grinning at their older companions.  


“Anyway,” the younger redhead sighed, “I think Ara’s still recovering, so we’ll probably be just the two of us tonight.”  


“Studying, I hope,” Talanah interjected, adopting an expression of faux-sternness as the younger women raised their eyebrows, their smirks deepening.  


“Oh, there will probably be some… studying… involved,” Ikrie shot back.  


Anukai felt her face begin to burn as she was sure it must have turned the color of her hair, prompting the other three to laugh.  


“Go, don’t let us hold you up,” Aloy said, waving dismissively. “Just remember, Anukai, you and I have training in the morning.”  


“I’ll make sure she’s up and ready,” Ikrie interjected before the redhead could respond.  


Anukai shot her an admonishing look as the dark-haired woman grinned but quickly took her hand and began to tug her toward the bridge. The redhead noted with amusement that Ikrie had seemed to perk up and move with more energy in her steps almost as soon as they had set foot off the bridge, entering the main city. By the time they had navigated the winding streets halfway to their apartment, the dark-haired woman was tugging at her arm, leading the way between the crowds of people, until they reached the final street, where she glanced back with a smirk before nearly dragging the redhead forward.  


When they finally reached the front door, she bobbed back and forth between her feet impatiently as Anukai pulled the keys from her belt, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Almost immediately, she was tugged forward into the space, barely having enough time to kick the door closed behind her before Ikrie insistently tugged her toward the opposite side of the living space, where the door to their bedroom lay.  


“Someone’s excited,” the redhead commented, laughing.  


Ikrie paused halfway across the room, turning back to Anukai with a conflicted expression on her face.  


“Sorry, I… earlier…”  


“It’s okay,” Anukai laughed, placing one hand on her shoulder and rubbing it gently. “Just wasn’t expecting such energy.”  


The dark-haired woman grinned sheepishly as the redhead smirked and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.  


“So… you’re still… uh… still want to…?”  


Anukai continued to smirk as she stared back at her, Ikrie shifting slightly from foot to foot.  


“I made you a promise, didn’t I?” she said softly. “If there’s one thing you’ve taught me… it’s to keep promises.”  


The dark-haired girl fell still for a moment before a grin began to tug at her lips, and she slid forward. A moment later, Anukai felt her hands tugging at the hem of her tunic, but she didn’t move to interrupt in any way. After several moments of tugging, the garment came free of where she had tied it beneath her belt, the bottom of the silk top hanging open for a moment before Ikrie’s hands found their way beneath it, her fingers sliding across the redhead’s stomach, passing over the scar across it sending a tingling sensation down her spine.  


A moment later, Ikrie had lifted her arms, pulling the rest of the top up with them, Anukai obliging by lifting her arms and allowing her to tug it over her head, the dark-haired woman quickly tossing the blue and green top aside. As she did, the redhead noted how Ikrie’s eyes travelled over her hungrily for a moment before she stepped forward, running her hands over Anukai’s sides and onto her back before pressing a kiss against her.  


It only lasted for a moment, however, before the dark-haired woman pulled away, tugging the redhead after her as she led them toward the bedroom, once again. Within a few seconds, Anukai found herself seated on the edge of their bed as Ikrie hurriedly tugged at the hem to her own gold and red top, managing to rip it up and over her head without actually tearing the fabric, to the redhead’s surprise. As she did, however, Anukai’s hands tugged at her belt, managing to untie it a moment later, tossing it in the same direction Ikrie had thrown her top a moment ago.  


The dark-haired woman glanced down at her with a grin as the redhead’s fingers ran across her stomach, as well, Ikrie not even reacting to the touch of the metal appendage, at this point. As Anukai’s hands found their way behind her back, she tugged the dark-haired woman forward, until she was able to press her lips against the warm skin by her navel, repeating with multiple kisses for several long moments before she felt Ikrie pushing at her shoulders. The redhead obliged, backing away, only for the dark-haired woman to continue pushing her until she fell onto her back, the mattress beneath her creaking slightly at the sudden weight.  


Before she even had a moment to register the changed perspective, she felt Ikrie tugging at her belt, as well, the redhead obliging to assist by lifting her hips from the bed so that the dark-haired woman could yank the fabric from about her and throw it aside. A moment later, Ikrie had leaned forward over the bed, and began to press kisses along the redhead’s abdomen, as she had done to her moments ago. This time, however, Anukai noted how the dark-haired woman’s fingers looped under the waist of her leggings, beginning to pull at them, as well. Several moments later, they joined the other pile of clothing on the floor.  


Anukai glanced toward the edge of the bed before the entire surface shook beneath her and she looked back up to see Ikrie had clambered on top of it, her knees braced on either side of the redhead’s hips and her hands just above her shoulders. The redhead caught her pale eyes even more hungrily scanning her over until they met her own, and they paused. A grin spread across Ikrie’s face before she leaned forward, pressing a kiss intently into her lips. Anukai accepted in kind, her hands naturally finding their way to just above her hips, her fingers seeking out the top of her partner’s leggings, as well.  


Within a few moments, the pile of clothing on the floor was complete, and Ikrie released her from the kiss for a few moments before pressing her entire body into the redhead with the same insistence, her lips now landing along Anukai’s jaw, moving toward her neck before travelling down it, as well. The redhead’s eyes slid closed as she basked in the feeling of the warmth pressed against her and the sensation of the kisses along her shoulders and across her collarbone.  


“You know,” Ikrie panted, pausing her assault for a moment. “I think you might have a few more freckles, now.”  


“Oh?” Anukai hummed.  


“Just a few,” the dark-haired woman teased.  


“That going to be a problem?”  


A moment of pause followed before Ikrie placed several more kisses along her shoulder.  


“Most definitely not,” she breathed.  


As the dark-haired woman’s motions grew more insistent, Anukai found herself reacting in turn, matching her partner’s motions and physical suggestions until finally Ikrie paused, both of them panting as the thought that she couldn’t tell whether the midday sun had made her sweat more crossed the redhead’s mind. Just as she attempted to lean in toward the dark-haired woman, once again, Ikrie gently placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Confusion creased Anukai’s face as she blinked several times, her vision fully clearing until she could make out the dark-haired woman’s face.  


“What’s wrong?” she panted.  


“Nothing’s wrong,” Ikrie replied, shaking her head. “Just…”  


Anukai’s eyebrows raised as the dark-haired woman took a deep breath, nuzzling her face into the crook of the redhead’s neck for a moment before she paused, yet again.  


“There’s… something that’s been on my mind,” she whispered.  


“Tell me,” Anukai replied, gently running her hands across her back.  


Ikrie remained silent for several long moments, gently pressing kisses against the redhead’s neck and jaw for a few moments before their faces drew even, once again, and she could see her pale eyes staring directly back into hers.  


“I’ve…” the dark-haired woman said, trailing off.  


“Hmm…?”  


Ikrie paused, yet again, before taking a deep breath and letting it out in a slow, shaky sigh.  


“We’ve been… pretty good… since coming back here,” she began. “Right?”  


A twinge of something almost like fear appeared in Anukai’s stomach and she swallowed heavily.  


“Yeah, I think so.”  


“And… you… you want… you’re okay with… it continuing… right?”  


Anukai let out a quiet laugh, pressing a kiss against the tip of Ikrie’s nose.  


“Yes, I am.”  


The dark-haired girl didn’t seem to fully relax, once again, however, as she kept her hands propped firmly against the bed on either side of Anukai’s shoulders.  


“S-so…” Ikrie trailed off, an uncharacteristic tremor to her voice.  


“Is something wrong?” the redhead asked, concern lacing her voice.  


“No, nothing wrong,” the dark-haired woman said quickly, shaking her head. “I… I’ve just… I wanted… to…”  


Concern continued to crease Anukai’s face as Ikrie took a deep breath, pushing herself into a seated position, but still remaining atop the redhead’s waist. The dark-haired woman’s fingers slowly ran over the redhead’s stomach, before she closed her eyes, drawing in another slow breath through her nose.  


“Anukai… I… I want to know… I want to know if you’d be my mate… officially.”  


The redhead paused, the words taking a moment to sink in before she felt her heart leap, her eyes widening slightly.  


“Oh,” she managed, the single syllable slipping out of her and prompting her to try to form more words even quicker. “You mean…”  


“I know we’ve been—we’ve been good, and you just agreed, but…” Ikrie said quickly, her eyes sliding open, once again as she looked back down at the redhead, “but it’s been gnawing at my mind and… and I wanted to ask, because… I love you and part of me still wants this to be—”  


“Official,” Anukai interrupted, a smile tugging at her lips. “I get it.”  


Ikrie grinned nervously in response, her fingers notably shaking slightly against the redhead’s skin.  


“So… what say you, Anukai?” she asked. “Would you be willing to officially be my mate? Join our songs before the Blue Light, the Sun, whatever we wish?”  


The redhead remained silent for a moment or two as she felt something pushing at the inside of her chest, expanding against her ribs with a force that felt freeing rather than painful, her entire body filling with an electric, tingling sensation as her smile grew even broader.  


“Yes… yes, yes, of course!” she finally managed.  


Ikrie’s face finally cracked into a full on smile as she let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob, quickly falling forward atop the redhead and wrapping her arms beneath her as Anukai gripped her tightly, in response. The redhead buried her face in the head of dark hair before her, breathing deeply for a moment before Ikrie lifted her head, turning toward her and pressing an intense kiss against her lips.  


When they finally broke apart several long moments later, the dark-haired woman remained hovering several inches away, her pale eyes shining as the most genuine smile the redhead had ever seen from her continued to light up her face.  


“You know,” Anukai said slowly, “this means you’re mine, now, too.”  


Ikrie let out a soft laugh, leaning forward until her lips were nearly touching the redhead’s, once again, before pausing.  


“I can live with that.”

  


  


The lone Watcher on the edge of its circular patrol came to an abrupt stop as its singular, large eye came across the pile of broken metal that constituted one of its companions. The glowing, blue light turned yellow as it began to stalk forward, keeping its head and neck low to the ground as its gaze swept across the open ground. As it came to the side of its fallen comrade, the machine scanned over it for a moment or two, only to whirl to its left at the sound of something hitting the ground with a soft thud.  


Its sensors locked on to the small object, drawing the machine nearer until its gaze rested on the rock sitting amidst the grass.  


Just as it lifted its head to search the ground before it, motion suddenly exploded from its left. Before the machine could turn toward it, something heavy landed on its side, knocking it to the ground. A moment later, a sharp blade slipped between the armored plating on its side and into the processor in its center. The Watcher let out one last, bleating call before it fell still, the sounds of its inner mechanics winding down filling the air for a moment before its attacker finally removed the blade.  


Anukai stepped back from the downed machine, letting out a sigh, a smirk tugging at her lips.  


“Haven’t lost it,” she muttered.  


The redhead glanced back toward the cover she had vacated moments ago to see two figures rising from the tall grass.  


“I feel that you are attempting to impress,” Ashana called, a wry smirk tugging at her lips as she made her way out of the cover.  


“Maybe, I just wanted to have fun,” Anukai shot back.  


The other redhead let out a short laugh, shaking her head before frowning and attempting to smooth back the rebel strands of hair that had fallen loose from the bun-like shape she had tied her braid into earlier.  


“Fun? On a hunt?” Ikrie teased, coming to a stop beside the other redhead. “When have you ever done that?”  


Anukai rolled her eyes as she let out a forced, sarcastic laugh, sliding her knife back into its sheath on the back of her belt.  


“This has been a sufficient preparation,” Ashana sighed, seeming to have managed to tuck her hair back into place. “I do believe you promised more… _fulfilling_ prey.”  


The former Banuk redhead smirked, raising her eyebrows.  


“Been on your mind this whole time?”  


“Do not tempt a huntress only to withhold from her,” the other redhead shot back.  


“Well, then, follow me.”  


With that, the trio turned to make their way farther up the sloped ground, passing between the generously-spaced trees and underbrush. As they walked, Anukai tapped her Focus, bringing up the interface and the communication option, with it.  


“GAIA, you tag the location of those last two Watchers?”  


“I did, Anukai,” the AI replied. “A pack of Scrappers is on their way, as we speak.”  


With that, the redhead closed her Focus interface, once again, turning back to the others as she noted Ashana glancing toward her with interest.  


“These machines are all controlled by GAIA, correct?” she asked.  


“They are.”  


“And… she lets you kill them for sport?”  


“They’re old, already damaged, or just in some way no longer fit to continue their normal functions,” Anukai shrugged. “They’re due to be broken down anyway, so we—”  


She glanced to Ikrie, the dark-haired woman grinning back in response.  


“—came up with the idea to use them as training.”  


Ashana nodded, her face screwing up in thought for a moment.  


“That seems a wise decision.”  


“Glad you approve.”  


The other redhead shot her a look as Anukai laughed, glancing around the scenery before them for a moment or two before tapping her Focus, once again.  


“I assume these are not training for you two,” Ashana continued.  


“Not usually,” she replied, not looking toward the other woman as she continued to scan the forested area ahead of them, her gaze sweeping across it broadly from left to right. “Watchers are the safest for the children, though, to start.”  


“Watchers are the one-eyed ones, like what you have just killed, yes?”  


Anukai nodded before coming to a stop, reaching out to hit the other redhead on her shoulder, bringing her to a halt, as well. The former Banuk pointed to something just ahead of them and off to the left slightly.  


“I do not see anything,” Ashana whispered.  


“Other side of the hill,” she replied, tapping her Focus and glancing toward her near mirror-image with a grin. “How’s a Bellowback sound?”  


The other redhead raised her eyebrows, but she couldn’t hide the slight upward twitch at the corners of her lips.  


“I am not familiar with this name,” she said, “but I sense it will be more of a challenge than these—Watched you have shown.”  


Anukai laughed softly at the mispronunciation, but said nothing as she glanced to Ikrie, nodding ahead of them. The dark-haired woman drew her sling from her belt, spinning it in her hand for a moment before holding fast.  


“Usual?”  


“Usual.”  


With that, Ikrie broke off to their right, moving in a wide arc toward the top of the small section of slope beside them while Anukai led Ashana straight ahead, eventually dropping into a crouch as they slipped into a set of bushes beside a particularly large tree. As they peered between the branches, both redheads took sight of the towering, black machine with its tanks of vibrant, green liquid held on its back and beneath its head, where a set of beady, glowing blue eyes shone from the center of an otherwise wicked and vicious-looking face.  


“Ah, I am familiar with this one,” Ashana said, nodding. “The green water on its back will explode with fire.”  


“It can,” Anukai smirked, drawing her bow from over her shoulders, “if you can break it.”  


“If your mate freezes the surface, it will be much easier to destroy.”  


“Already ahead of you,” Ikrie’s voice suddenly crackled in their ears, prompting the former Banuk redhead’s smirk to deepen.  


“You two are well in step with each other,” Ashana commented, nodding as she drew a weapon that sported a metal handle at one end, complete with a trigger, while the other seemed to hold some kind of hooked projectile, its four jagged arms currently closed into a narrow tip.  


“Well, five years in union with someone will certainly let you learn how they move and how they think,” Anukai shot back, drawing a hardpoint arrow from her quiver and nocking it to her bow.  


"When you reach ten, there is no need to think. Sorin and I move as one like instinct," she replied, shooting the former Banuk a self-satisfied smirk.  


Anukai rolled her eyes as she let out a heavy sigh, turning back to their target before them.  


“Ikrie, whenever you’re ready.”  


A moment later, a small, blue projectile suddenly arced through the air, crashing into the back of the large machine and spilling chillwater across the metal and glass. The Bellowback’s eyes quickly turned from blue to yellow as it attempted to whirl to face the direction it believed the projectile had arrived from, however as it did, Anukai noted that its right leg seemed to falter slightly, making its motions slightly slower than usual.  


“Right leg.”  


Ashana hummed a response in the affirmative before she raised her weapon, taking aim at the tank on the machine’s back. As she squeezed the trigger, the projectile suddenly launched forward with a loud, mechanical clunk. Anukai watched as it made a line straight for the glass tank, slamming into its side and seeming to stick in place. A moment later, it seemed to shift slightly, and a spiderweb of cracks spread across the surface beneath it.  


The other redhead swore in her native tongue as she began to reload her weapon.  


“I will need to place the next in the section that is frozen. The glass is of stronger construction than I thought.”  


Anukai nodded, noting that the Bellowback was now attempting to turn toward them, its eyes having firmly turned to red.  


“You go left, I go right,” she muttered, receiving a grunt in affirmative in response before the two redheads charged forward into the open.  


Anukai sprinted across the open ground before the machine for several seconds before slowing to spare a glance toward it. The Bellowback had evidently decided to follow her motions, primarily, as it had already begun to stalk up the slight slope toward her, the first hints of flames appearing at the tip of its snout. A moment later, Anukai loosed her arrow toward the fire-sprayer, the head lodging firmly in the tip of the weapon and prompting the machine to recoil slightly, shaking its head in a seeming attempt to lose the projectile.  


The redhead spared a glance toward its feet, finding Ashana had managed to move almost directly behind it, and was taking aim at the opposite side of the large, glass tank on its back. Anukai quickly nocked a new arrow to her bow, taking aim at the Bellowback’s head and loosing it, just before another blue projectile sailed in from her right, crashing into the Blaze container on its back.  


The machine seemed thoroughly confused as to which threat to address first, and instead froze in place for a moment, allowing Ashana to get farther into position and aim her weapon firmly at the section of glass coated in chillwater. A moment later, she had fired off her second round, the projectile slamming into the frozen surface and holding fast, as the first had, before Anukai noted the section the arms attached to seemed to draw back.  


The redhead swore under her breath as she quickly grabbed one of her arrows doused in blaze and nocked it to her bow, striking the tip on a small strip of flint attached to the side of the grip, setting the liquid ablaze. As Ashana’s projectile suddenly drove its rear section into the glass, the surface shattered, bringing with it a small torrent of bright green blaze. Anukai quickly took aim with her bow, loosing the arrow toward the bleeding fluid. As the tip caught the portion right at the hole’s edge, she watched the flames quickly spread across the surface of the blaze still inside the container.  


“Stand back!”  


Ashana was already scrambling to put distance between herself and the machine, however, managing to move another yard or two before the fire inside the container seemed to reach its peak. A moment later, a powerful explosion ripped through the glass vessel, shattering the remainder of the outer wall, as well as spewing a fountain of flames into the air and over the back of the machine.  


The Bellowback let out a loud, mechanical howl in anguish as it attempted to shake the burning liquid free, but it had already begun to seep under the armor plating and into the synthetic muscle beneath, quickly turning the metal an angry red as its own systems bore the burning fluid throughout it.  


The machine continued to thrash wildly as it attempted to charge toward Anukai, but a well-placed tearblast arrow to its right leg brought it crashing to the ground before it could cover even half the distance to her.  


“Ash, you do the honors?” Anukai panted, staring at the felled machine as it weakly attempted to right itself, once again.  


The other redhead made her way around the side of the Bellowback toward Anukai before drawing what seemed to be another of the same weapon from her belt, but this one notably didn’t feature as large of a projectile at the front. A moment later, the new weapon fired toward the machine with a loud pop, a small trail of smoke following the projectile until it lodged in the metal underbelly.  


After a few moments where nothing had happened, Anukai was about to turn to her redheaded companion to ask what the purpose of the device had been, only for a loud explosion to suddenly rip through the Bellowback. The redhead raised her arms defensively against the sudden blast of flames, lowering them a moment later to find that the machine lay still, almost its entire body blown open from the force of the blast. With a smirk and a laugh, she shook her head, shouldering her bow and turning to glance behind her, finding Ikrie descending the slope with an impressed expression on her face.  


“Hey, where can I get one of those?” she called to the other redhead, prompting Ashana to laugh loudly.  


“I am afraid that I must keep some advantages to myself,” the redhead replied, the trio coming to a stop a safe distance away from the still-burning machine. “It is of my own design, I will say.”  


“Sure you didn’t just copy something from the files at the Port?” Anukai teased.  


“It is perhaps borrowing pieces from designs they have provided,” the other redhead shrugged, “but I have made them better.”  


“You don’t say…”  


With a heavy sigh, Anukai tapped her Focus, still staring down at the burning machine.  


“Well, Bellowback’s down, GAIA,” she said. “Might want to give it a little while for the fire to die down before you send in the Scrappers.”  


“I am inclined to agree with you,” the AI replied.  


With that, Anukai closed her Focus, once again, nodding toward the other side of the machine.  


“Come on, let’s collect them and start heading back.”  


The other two nodded, turning to follow her as they gave the machine carcass a wide berth, but made their way toward the lower part of the slope. As they approached a set of bushes at the edge of a more thickly forested section ahead of them, several small figures stepped from within, their eyes wide.  


“I see you were all paying attention,” Anukai said, grinning.  


“It… just exploded!” a boy with dark, curly hair said, his eyes still fixated on the Bellowback behind them.  


“Does anyone have an idea why?” the redhead replied, raising her eyebrows as she came to a stop before the small group of children.  


“The blaze?” one girl, shorter than the rest with very light, blonde hair offered.  


“That’s right Maeve,” Anukai nodded. “That green stuff is very useful, but very dangerous. What do we use it for?”  


“Fire arrows!” several of them replied at once.  


“Exactly,” the redhead replied.  


“Huntress Anukai,” another boy with light brown hair shaved into a single, longer strip down the center of his head suddenly chimed in, turning his gaze from the Bellowback to the redhead, “why wouldn’t you use something like a pistol or a rifle for a threat this size?”  


The redhead nodded slowly, her lips scrunched in thought before she sighed.  


“In an open engagement, you’re right,” she admitted. “If you are spotted, those weapons are incredibly powerful and effective. What would be a downside if you were not in the open?”  


“They’re loud,” the small, blonde girl answered.  


“Exactly,” Anukai nodded. “They will give your position away almost immediately.”  


The children nodded, muttering amongst themselves as they continued to stare at the burning, metallic corpse behind the women.  


"Also,” Ashana suddenly chimed in, appearing beside the other redhead and leaning on her shoulder with one arm, “she is—what you say— _old fashioned_.”  


The children laughed as Anukai rolled her eyes, shooting her counterpart an admonishing look before turning back to her charges.  


“This is the end of our sessions for today,” she said. “Let’s make our way back to Base Camp and begin packing for our return home.”  


The children all muttered sounds of disappointment, but the three women quickly began to herd them back along the path to the camp, all of them eventually complying. As they continued their walk, the older women bringing up the rear, Ashana slipped closer to Anukai and nudged her elbow with her own.  


“I have to admit,” she said softly, “I did not see you as such a teacher, when we first met.”  


“Well… some things come by accident, I suppose,” Anukai shrugged.  


“You are good at it.”  


The former Banuk paused for a moment before a satisfied grin began to tug at her lips and she nodded.  


“Thanks, Ash.”  


When they had reached the camp at the base of the mountain slope, the children set about packing their equipment, clothing, and bedrolls before assisting each other with tearing down the tents each set of two had shared for the past two nights. Anukai and Ikrie began to do the same with their belongings, while Ashana had only opted for a simple bedroll and blanket, leaving her to lounge in the nearby grass as she waited for the others to finish.  


Anukai spared her a look before sighing and shaking her head.  


“You know, for a hardened warrior, she certainly seems to lie around a lot,” she whispered to Ikrie.  


“She came to visit us,” the dark-haired woman shot back, smirking, “you convinced her to help out on this excursion as soon as she showed up in Meridian.”  


“Not my fault she never lets us know when she’s going to show up,” Anukai said, prompting Ikrie to throw one of the coils of rope that had held their tent in place at her as the redhead grinned.  


“It’s every year, Anukai,” her mate shot back. “You should know that by now.”  


“Okay, but it could have been next week…”  


Ikrie rolled her eyes but fell silent as they continued packing their things, the entire camp soon packed away within less than a half an hour. Surveying the spot, Anukai nodded in satisfaction that it appeared almost as if no one had been here, save the small campfire that had been scattered that morning, after breakfast.  


“Okay everyone, gather with your riding partners!”  


The three women eventually corralled the children into their groups of two, once again, as they approached the nearby group of grazing Striders, the machines sparing them hardly more than passing glances as they approached. The taller, larger children were able to help secure the supplies to their mounts with minimal assistance from the older women, although Anukai did have to help the group of the short, blonde girl from earlier and her friend, an equally short boy with dark hair and a large field of freckles below his pale eyes.  


As the redhead helped the two of them into place, and he glanced down at her, muttering his thanks even as he glanced around at the other groups, she paused for a moment, a strange feeling running down her spine. She shivered before quickly adopting a smile, nodding and turning back to make sure the others were in place, as well. When the group was finally ready to go, Anukai hopped aboard her own Strider, settling into place before glancing at the other women.  


“Ash, you take rear, make sure no one falls behind?”  


The other redhead nodded, maneuvering her mount to the back of the group as Anukai and Ikrie made their way to the front.  


“Okay, everyone, should be a few hours back to Meridian, but barring any unexpected tragedies, we should be home before sunset.”  


They all offered verbal confirmations before Anukai turned her Strider to the path they had taken from the city and set out a long it, whistling to signal the others to follow after her.  


True to her word, the path from the mountainside, through the desert, and up the rocky paths to the mesa passed relatively quickly and without incident, the sun still well above the western horizon as they reached the open staging area at the end of the bridge into the city. A series of corrals and stables had been built on the flat, open ground, with several men and women tending to a small herd of Striders, Broadheads, and Chargers, several of whom approached the returning group.  


Anukai slid from the back of her Strider and offered it to the nearest handler, who also took Ikrie’s and began to lead them toward the nearby corral. Within a few minutes, and without any series injuries or damage, the three women had helped the children dismount and retrieve their equipment, leaving the mounts with the handlers. Anukai thanked the leader for the evening, a woman with dark skin and incredibly curly hair tied back into a tight ponytail behind her head, before guiding the children to return the tents and other camping gear to a storage shed on the far side of the open area.  


“Okay, everyone gather around!” Anukai called, clapping her hands and waving for the children to form a semi-circle before her. “I just wanted to say, before we all head home and have a nice evening with our families, thank you for a productive, thoughtful, and even fun excursion, these past three days. If you all keep this up, you may be my favorite class I’ve ever had.”  


The children all laughed and grinned at her praise, even if some of the older boys tried to hide their reactions, somewhat.  


“Now, I’m tired, so let’s head back in, where you can be your parents’ problems, now.”  


The group offered one last round of thanks before bidding the women goodnight, several of them making a special note to thank Ashana for visiting and helping, specifically, which the redhead returned with “you are welcome” and specific feedback and encouragement for each child who did, prompting Anukai to raise her eyebrows in surprise. As the last child was speaking to the other redhead, Ikrie slid beside her mate, leaning against her right arm gently.  


“Who’d have thought she was so good with children?” the redhead whispered.  


Ikrie hummed in response for a moment before leaning her head against her shoulder.  


“I think it makes sense,” she replied.  


“Oh?”  


“You are, so…”  


Anukai laughed softly, leaning her head atop the dark head of hair beside hers for a moment.  


“We’re not exactly the same.”  


“Oh, I know,” Ikrie replied, her fingers slowly threading between Anukai’s at her side. “I do think it’s something deeper down than both of you realize.”  


The redhead blinked at her words, lifting her head to glance down at her mate just as Ikrie glanced up at her, pale eyes flashing as she grinned. Several long moments passed as a similar feeling as when she had helped the boy atop his mount earlier ran down her spine, prompting her to shiver, again, before she offered a small smile and placed a quick kiss against her mate. When she turned back to Ashana, she found her just turning from the girl she had been speaking to, sighing and stretching her arms over her head for a moment.  


“I have enjoyed this small adventure,” the other redhead said, letting her arms drop to her sides with a sigh as she approached, “however I would not be telling the truth if I said that I did not long for a night in the bed at the residence I have secured, here.”  


“Are you saying that _you_ don’t enjoy sleeping out under the stars every night?” Anukai teased.  


“I do, however I have experienced much of this on my journey to Meridian, already,” the other redhead shrugged.  


“I’m only teasing, Ash.”  


The three of them began to make their way across the bridge into the city, itself, noting how the first signs of lights were appearing amidst the buildings, the life amidst the stone, clay, and metal never slowing or stopping, no matter the hour. As they stepped into the first courtyard upon the mesa, Ashana turned to make her way along the street to the right, while the couple turned to the left.  


“You sure you want to go to sleep, already?” Anukai called. “I’m sure Ara would be thrilled for a night out, since she hasn’t seen you, yet.”  


The other redhead paused, a momentary glimpse of an expression somewhere between fatigue and disappointment creasing her face before she hid it behind a casual shrug.  


“I am tired, and nights with our—adventurous—sister tend to require more energy,” Ashana replied. “There will be time tomorrow, soon enough.”  


Anukai smirked but nodded.  


“I’m feeling similarly,” she said. “We’ll see you tomorrow, then. I’m sure Aloy will also want some time.”  


“As do I with her,” the other redhead nodded. “There are details regarding our shared work that I would like to discuss.”  


“Well, let us know when you’re done with _that_ business and want to do something more fun,” Ikrie said, smirking.  


Ashana offered a small smirk of her own before nodding and wishing them goodnight, turning to continue her path to the apartment she had rented. The couple sighed, turning to make their way through the city streets that had already begun to grow busier with younger crowds. Anukai had to remind herself several times that many of the men and women they passed in their fancier, gaudier clothing were actually her age, even if she couldn’t help but feel some distance between them and herself.  


When they finally reached their apartment, Anukai dug the key from her belt, unlocking the front door and sliding inside before activating the lights with a voice command through her Focus. Almost as soon as the door closed behind her, the redhead felt the energy seep from her limbs and she barely seemed able to deposit her weapons and equipment in their respective storage places along the wall to her right.  


“They take that much out of you?” Ikrie asked softly, appearing behind her and wrapping her arms about the redhead’s middle before leaning her chin on her left shoulder.  


“Something like that…” Anukai sighed, placing her hands over her mate’s and leaning her head toward hers.  


Ikrie hummed a response before placing a kiss against the side of the redhead’s neck, patting her stomach gently.  


“Come,” she said softly. “I think Ashana may have had the right idea.”  


Anukai smirked before kicking off her boots and padding after the dark-haired woman toward their bedroom. As they entered, the redhead made straight for the bed, falling face-first atop it with a groan. Soft laughter echoed from behind her as she slowly rolled onto her side, finding Ikrie removing her outer tunic and leggings from their excursion, tossing them in a pile before their bureau before returning to the bed.  


“Don’t dirty our blanket with your three-day-old clothes,” she chastised, smirking.  


“Yes, mother,” Anukai shot back, sarcasm heavy in her tone.  


As the redhead dragged herself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, once again, she noted how Ikrie appeared to have frozen in place, her eyes growing glassy as her jaw worked slowly in thought.  


“Everything okay?”  


The dark-haired woman blinked quickly, snapping out of her daze as she nodded, moving around the far side of the bed and falling onto it. As Anukai removed her sweat-soaked and dirt-stained clothing, Ikrie remained lying on her back, slowly drumming her fingers on her stomach. With a final grunt of exertion, the redhead tossed her clothing atop her mate’s before crawling onto the bed beside her and quickly burying her face in her shoulder, wrapping one leg over Ikrie’s and curling her arm around the dark-haired woman’s left.  


“You’re thinking about something,” Anukai mumbled into the freckle-covered skin exposed around the shoulder strap of Ikrie’s top.  


“I always am.”  


“Something bigger than normal.”  


The dark-haired woman remained silent for several long moments before sighing deeply and adjusting her position, reaching across herself to run her free hand over the top of Anukai’s hair.  


“Maybe… something… smaller?”  


Confusion creased the redhead’s face for a moment before she partially disentangled herself from her mate, propping herself up on one elbow to look down at her.  


“What do you mean?”  


Ikrie’s hand fell onto her stomach, once again, as her fingers slowly curled around the fabric of her top before she took a deep breath in through her nose.  


“I’ve… been looking into some information… from APOLLO and ELEUTHIA,” the dark-haired woman said slowly.  


Anukai’s eyebrows raised at the mention of the two specific subfunctions.  


“And… I… I-I was thinking… well, wondering… well, I wanted to ask…”  


“So ask,” the redhead replied, laughing softly as she brought one hand to rest over Ikrie’s her thumb running gently over the scarred lines on the back of it.  


“What do you think… about children?”  


The redhead froze in place, her thumb mid-motion, before she swallowed heavily, attempting to slow her heart rate as it pounded forcefully in her ears.  


“I think they can be fine,” she shrugged. “Sometimes annoying, don’t always listen, but if you raise them right…”  


“Well, we’d be raising them, so…”  


Anukai froze, once again, although this time with her eyes locked firmly on Ikrie’s, the dark-haired woman’s eyebrows raised and her expression open in a question.  


“O-oh… _oh_ …” the redhead managed, breathlessly. “You mean… like… _our_ children…?”  


Ikrie nodded as the redhead chewed the inside of her cheek, her expression growing more conflicted and prompting her mate to frown slightly.  


“You can say no.”  


“No, I… I’m not saying no,” Anukai said quickly. “I… you kind of… surprised me…”  


“Anukai,” Ikrie sighed, dragging herself to a seated position and taking hold of the redhead’s hands in hers as she also slid into the pillows at the head of the bed to prop herself up, instead, “we’ve been united for five years, now, and… and I think we’ve seen that something horrific isn’t just on the verge of happening to us… so… I… it’s been on my mind…”  


“It’s a lot of responsibility,” the redhead replied, raising her eyebrows.  


“I know, but… I think we can do it,” the dark-haired woman said softly. “We’re still alive, we’ve got Aloy, and Talanah, and Ara, and Vansa all here—in Meridian—who we can turn to for help, i-if we need it…”  


Anukai nodded slowly, her gaze staring vacantly between them for a moment or two before her gaze refocused and she lifted her head to meet Ikrie’s eyes, once again.  


“I don’t think we’re going to be able to have a child ourselves, or with their help, though,” she said.  


Ikrie’s eyes widened slightly as her expression quickly became much more hopeful.  


“You’re… you’re agreeing?”  


“I’m talking how we can make all of this work before we get in over our heads,” the redhead laughed.  


“But… you’re… willing to talk about all that…?”  


Anukai remained silent for a long moment or two before leaning in to place a gentle kiss against her mate’s lips.  


“Of course I am,” she whispered as she pulled away slowly.  


Ikrie’s face lit up as she pressed an even more forceful kiss against the redhead. When they finally stilled, once more, they sank lower on their bed, adopting a similar position to earlier, with Anukai’s cheek on her mate’s shoulder while her left hand drew small circles in the fabric over Ikrie’s stomach.  


“So… I guess this means we’re really into staying mates, huh?” the redhead teased.  


Ikrie laughed softly, turning her head to place a gentle kiss against her forehead.  


“I said I could live with it, before.”  


Anukai hummed, nuzzling her face further against her mate’s shoulder until she felt her forehead faintly press against Ikrie’s cheek.  


“Let’s keep at it, then.”  


She could feel the smile crease her mate’s face even if she didn’t lift her head to see it, Anukai’s eyes sliding closed as she reveled in the warmth of Ikrie’s body below her and the softness of her touch as the dark-haired woman’s fingers gently pressed against her spine. As she began to feel herself sinking into the moment, slipping outside of the exact time in the exact bedroom where they lay, a phrase drifted through her mind, echoing from almost seven years in the past, even though she could hear it just as loud and clear, right then.  


A smile tugged at the redhead’s lips as she inhaled deeply, pressing farther into the warmth of Ikrie at her side.  


“Let’s keep seeking life… you and me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm far from done with this little AU.
> 
> Next week, we continue.
> 
> A good friend will be joining the party, as well.
> 
> I think y'all will be very excited ;)
> 
> -NoGho


End file.
